Notes & Lyrics
by DragneelGirl
Summary: He stood confidently on the stage with a mic on his hand, his forehead dripping with sweat and onyx eyes burning with passion. He's clearly on fire, like his very being is fire itself. And She's like a moth, a moth that's slowly being drawn to his flames. FT band AU. (Mainly NALU with slight Jerza, Gale and Gruvia on the side)
1. Chapter 1: Bandmates

" _The true beauty of music is that it connects people._

 _It carries a message,_

 _And we, the musicians, are the messengers."_

 _-Roy Ayers_

* * *

CHAPTER I

"Bandmates"

Natsu's P.O.V.:

I was woken by an unbelievably annoying sound coming from the left side of my bed.

"Ughhh… 5 more minutes…" I said sleepily to no one in particular as I pull the covers over my head, desperately trying to block the sound.

That annoying sound only ceased for a moment then started blaring again. It's irritating me.

"Ughhh…" I reached over to my left side, over the bedside table, blindly searching where that annoying sound was coming from then felt something vibrate along with it.

 _Oh shit._

I opened my eyes immediately like someone had just dumped me a bucket of cold water. All my irritation was gone now. It all changed to sudden realization, and then panic.

 _It's my phone._ I thought then groaned as I suddenly sat to answer it, but it stopped ringing when my finger was about to swipe the screen. I groaned again when it displayed the time. 11:13 a.m.

"Oh god, I'm so dead." I said as I rubbed my face with my unoccupied hand. Damn. I really did it now.

I fell back on my bed then looked warily at my phone again. I cringed. 20 missed calls and 32 unread messages. I didn't even want to know where those missed calls and messages came from.

Right when I was about to toss my phone away, it started ringing again. I just looked at it for a moment, debating whether to answer it or not. This is the least person I wanted to talk to this morning.

It's our drummer, Gray Fullbuster, the fucking stripper.

I sighed then swiped the screen of my phone after awhile.

"Ye-"

"Hey flamebrain!" He shouted over the line immediately after I answered my phone, cutting me off.

I instantly ripped my phone away from my ear. His shouting hurt my ear a bit, so I switched it over to loudspeaker.

"—re the fuck are you!? Don't tell me you've been sleeping all this time and you forgot about the band meeting you ash-for-brains! Do you know what time is it!? He asked, still shouting. He's obviously pissed at me.

"Just chill ice princess, will ya. My ears hurt from all your shouting." I started, when he'd finished asking me, in a very polite way, every question he had.

I sighed. "And to answer your question, of course I haven't actually forgotten our band meeting. I just..." I paused. "Overslept a little?" I continued, my voice getting a little bit smaller by the end of my sentence.

I scrunched my nose and readied myself for more shouting but all he did was groan over the line along with some other voices saying _"what an idiot"_ and _"we should just reschedule the meeting."_ And I don't have to guess whose voices were those. It was unmistakably our bandmates Gajeel and Jellal.

I guess he had switched his phone to loudspeaker too.

"Your compliment was very much appreciated Gajeel Redfox." I said to our bassist sarcastically, but his only reply was just his infamous _"gi-hee"_ laugh. Then after a moment I heard Gray sighed.

"We'll adjust the time just for you flamebrain." He said a lot calmer now. "Be here at exactly 1:00 P.M. You hear me? We really need to work on those new songs now. We'd be dead if we don't finish it by the end of the month. You know that too, right? I'm sure you don't have to be reminded." He scolded over the line.

I do understand why Gray was acting like that. Like the rest of us, he just doesn't want to fuck this up. Coz our band, Fairy Tail, was planning on releasing another album and possibly a concert in a few months.

It's almost been two years since we released our very first album and it was an overwhelming experience for us. I could still remember it all like it was just yesterday. It wasn't really easy for our band before all this.

Three years ago, we were just a small fry band that only played in small bars here in the City of Magnolia. We played pretty well if you asked me. Always pouring our hearts and souls out in every gig we had.

Most of the people who heard us play often asked why we aren't signed or why we don't have an album of our own and told us that we were good enough to make it big in the music industry. We would just smile at them and say that they're too kind. They didn't know that that was our dream and we silently prayed for it to happen.

Then, maybe, just maybe, the gods heard us because someone recommended us and we were invited to play in an event outside Magnolia. We caught the eye of some major music producer there. He contacted us a few days later saying that we're pretty good and he's interested in our band and he could make us big in the music industry. We were elated thinking that that might be our big break. Talk about luck. The next thing we know, we're signing a contract for our band.

It went really well if you asked us. After we were formally introduced to the public, we gained a lot of attention and I mean a lot. I don't know how or why but we suddenly become a thing. Thanks to our promoter I guess. We had gigs and shows frequently and in much bigger venues.

Then after a year or so, we released our first album. We never thought that it would immediately be a hit and we were willing to wait but we were wrong. It became so popular, that in a few months, our album sold over a million copies. It was just unbelievable. How the people welcomed our band, how they embraced our music. It was all unbelievable. Who would've thought we would get this far in our career. We're finally living our dream.

Just when things couldn't get any better, we were informed that were going on tour with other popular bands like Lamia Scale, Blue Pegasus and Mermaid Heel. All of us were so pumped up and hyped. It was amazing. I couldn't even describe it. The crowd, the bands, the experience, it was all amazing.

But, at some point, while watching other bands perform, we felt the need to give something more from our band. We knew we could do so much more. So after the successful tour, we decided to have a little break for a few months to prepare for a concert and a new album. We told our manager and promoters and they supported our decision and assured us that they would definitely wait. So, here we are, raking our brains out for that album.

We really need to do this sooner or later. We have to. We already took our sweet time over these past few months and we couldn't delay this any longer.

For a few months, our fans haven't heard anything from us. We knew they couldn't keep on waiting forever. We've got to release another shit out there. We immediately have to. There are so many talented bands out there, talented individuals, that could easily snatch the limelight and that will only leave us being "something" that only lasted for awhile like any other one-time-big-time artists. And I don't want that. Damn, as far as I know, any of us doesn't want that kind of thing to happen.

We want to prove that we deserve to be here, that they won't be disappointed in supporting us and our music. We want to make good music and that music to reach others. To reach the people who listened, listens, and will listen to our songs. We want our songs to have that connection to the people.

But to be honest, I'm not that productive these past weeks. It's been bugging me how to top our first album off and it's a little frustrating coz we need to have a firm foundation of this album by now.

I sighed. "Yeah iceprick, I heard ya. And I also don't wanna be on the bad side of the manager. Only god knows what she'd do to us once she finds out we've been slacking lately." I shuddered at the thought, remembering how she acts when she gets mad.

Even though she's one of our childhood friends, we couldn't deny that she's one brutal lady, especially when we don't carry out her instructions, which happens usually. It gets even worse when we don't pay attention to her when she says something, which happens usually too.

"'WE'? Slacking? Don't you mean 'YOU'? I'm pretty sure we are far more responsible than 'YOU', so don't lump us in with 'YOU'." Gray said clearly emphasizing the word "you" in his every sentence, making me cringe a little.

But before I can retort back, I heard a laugh on the other line which, I know, would only come from a certain person. Only a certain person would think that the situation about our manager is hilarious.

"Jellal! I heard you!" I shouted over the phone to the lead guitarist of our band. "Don't you dare make fun of us and our fear of Erza." I added but he just laughed at me some more.

"Yeah dude. Seriously, how'd you even manage to hook up with her? You're a legend, you know that." Gray declared.

Yeah. He's right. Come to think of it, Jellal and Erza haven't seen each other since Jellal and his adoptive family moved away when we were still kids. They only met again after high school at a friend's party. They didn't even have the eye for each other back then.

Erza, well, Erza is Erza. She's beautiful in a way but very barbaric, a total contrast to her face, while Jellal is the complete opposite of her. Very calm and reserved, except when he's on the stage performing. This guy turns into a beast when he gets his hands on a guitar. Well, I guess they do have a thing or two in common.

I heard Jellal laughed again and it sounded a little bit louder this time.

"You kids don't know how love works. It'll just suddenly…" he said but stopped midsentence.

I could just imagine his face right now. I rolled my eyes, thankful that he couldn't see me. Then I heard two voices groan.

"Eew dude. Please. Don't get all mushy. I could literally see hearts flying everywhere." Gray remarked.  
"And don't call us kids. We're only two years apart. Geez." He added.

"I'd rather sleep than hear ya'll talk about that love thing again." Gajeel stated with a grunt.

Jellal just chuckled at them. But a moment later, he cleared his throat.

"But jokes aside guys, we really need to get our shit together." He started. "We really took our time these past few months and we all know that Erza gave everything she had just to keep our thing going. We can repay her by doing this. The faster we finish this thing, the better. So, we really need to work hard for those new songs. All right guys? Natsu?" Jellal continued, his voice filled with authority that only him could pull off.

"Aye sir!" I affirmed over the line, noticing how he emphasized my name in his last sentence. The other two guys just responded with a grunt.

"And don't forget, 1:00 o'clock P.M. Natsu." Gray reminded me. "Studio. 1:00 o'clock. Don't be late."

"Yeah, yeah. 1:00 o'clock. Studio. Got it." I said to him monotonously.

And with that, Gray ended the call. I stared at the ceiling of my bedroom for a few minutes before I stretched my arms and sighed. I need to go somewhere.

"Time to get up." I said to myself as I hopped off the bed.

* * *

a/n:This fic will have a lot of chapters so please bear with me. This is my first fanfic and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment, review or constructive criticism. Anything that will make my writing or this fic better is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

And also, I do not own Fairytail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	2. Chapter 2: Cab ride

CHAPTER II

"Cab ride"

Lucy's P.O.V:

I looked at myself smile in satisfaction in front of the mirror as I brushed my long blonde hair with careful strokes. I hummed to myself a little, noticing how my big, brown eyes shine with mirth.

I'm a little excited coz today's my day off and I want to spend it the best way I can. That's why I'm going to visit my bestfriend at her café.

Her café is a great place. It's is so relaxing and peaceful, you'll imagine for a second that you're not in the bustling streets of Magnolia. It's been two weeks since I last visited her and I am thrilled to see her again.

I laid my brush down and examined myself again at the full length mirror. I adjusted my blouse and smoothed my skirt. It's a bit chilly now but it's bearable.

"This will do." I said brightly to myself then walked off to find and put my shoes on.

I glanced at my watch and noticed that it's already 12:05 p.m. So I grabbed my keys and purse before I walked out the door. I was such in a hurry that I nearly forgot to lock it and I giggled at myself for being ridiculous.

After locking the door, I sent a message to my friend saying that I am now on my way. I then waited patiently for a cab.

5 minutes later, I am now sitting silently at the back of the cab, looking out the window. My eyes scanned the houses and the people as we drove through the streets of Magnolia.

 _It'll probably take me more than 5 minutes to get there._ I contemplated after glancing at my watch.

My brown orbs once again scanned the road, my thoughts drifting to the first time that I set foot on this city. It's an unpleasant one to be honest.

My jacket got stolen together with my wallet after I had placed it on a bench to get my suitcases out of the cab. Thankfully, my phone had been spared. I knew it had been a terrible idea and it was so stupid of me to leave my things unattended but if that didn't happen, I would have never met my bestfriend.

I was sitting on the bench that time; my hands covered my face in my vainly attempt not to bawl my eyes out, when I heard her approached me. I didn't know who she was, so basically I was a bit conscious around her. But she just smiled and told me that she was just passing by when she saw me all alone.

 _You really looked like you needed some help._ I remember her saying to me, motioning over my suitcases, before settling down beside me on the bench. She asked me what happened but I just looked at her skeptically. I remember thinking that maybe this girl really has a pure heart or she just really wanted to stick her nose at someone's business. She only smiled at me, almost like saying that I could trust her and she's only there to help me. She told me her name and I told her mine a moment later.

I learned that she's the same age as me, loves reading books and practically lived here all her life. Oh, and she owns a café.

I just found myself smiling and enjoying her company. It felt like I'm just talking to a friend rather than a stranger. I felt that she's a really good person so I slowly opened up to her. What happened a moment ago, why I was crying and why I was here in Magnolia in the first place.

Understanding dawned on her and she finally stood up from where we sat.

She offered me to stay with her for awhile only if I wanted to while I sort things out, like getting a job and my own apartment. She said that she didn't mind having a roommate for awhile.

I was a little hesitant but who am I to decline. Like they all say, 'beggars can't be choosers'. Admit it or not, with all my money gone, I was technically a beggar at that time. So I agreed and thank her with all my heart. I also said to her that it would really help me if nobody knew where I was staying. She said that its okay and she respected my decision.

Even though this girl is so small, she really has a big heart. She's like an angel sent specially for me.

The first thing I did after settling down at her apartment was to find a job. She lent me some money to start with but I promised to pay her back as soon as I find a job. It took me nearly 3 weeks of constant job hunting to find a decent paying job.

Then, after a few months of living together, I could finally afford to rent an apartment for myself. It's a little far from her place but it's the cheapest one we saw. She said that I could just stay at her place and I loved to. It's really been fun living with her but I don't want to bother her anymore. She had already done so much for me and I am so grateful for that. I owe her everything but I need to stand on my own two feet again.

Those few months that we've spent together living at her apartment, I managed to gain a bestfriend. She discovered many things about me and the same goes for me. She didn't even judge me when I told her everything about my past, and for the first time, I trusted someone with all my heart again.

I decided to quit my first job and apply at a publishing company. Luckily, they recognized my talent or potential. I now work for them as an editorial assistant.

It's a bitter sweet moment for the two of us but in the end it all worked out alright. We promised to visit each other whenever one of us can. So, here I am, on my way to see her.

"Which way miss?" I heard the cab driver say, pulling me out of my reverie. His eyes looked at me through the rear-view mirror.

I scanned my surroundings upon hearing his question and noticed that we're almost there. I felt sorry for the cab driver coz I didn't exactly gave him the exact address.

"Turn right at the next block." I replied to him as I point my hand in that direction.

* * *

A/N:

*PhantomSeekerz255, I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. I really really really appreciate your comment. I really do.  
And I hope that this fanfic will live up to your expectations.

* * *

**Guyss... This fic will have a lot of chapters so please bear with me. This is my first fanfic and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment, review or constructive criticism. Anything that will make my writing or this fic better is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

And also, I do not own Fairytail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	3. Chapter 3: Book Dragon

CHAPTER III

"Book Dragon"

Natsu's P.O.V.:

I looked inside my apartment for the last time, smiling slightly when I spotted a small blue fur curled up on the sofa. I silently locked the door and spared a glance at my phone. It's already 11:48 a.m. It's been more than 30 minutes since the guys called and I had managed to surprisingly finish my morning rituals within that time.

Now, here I am, standing outside my apartment door, on my way to my favorite café.

So I pulled up my hood, picked up my guitar and adjusted my scarf. Then went out and walked silently in the busy streets of magnolia.

It's been awhile since I'd done something like this in peace, thanks to my hood and my favorite scarf that's been covering half of my head or more importantly my outrageously pink hair. Cross that out. It's salmon.

If I walked this street without covering it, it'd attract a lot of attention and soon enough there'd be screaming fans everywhere saying "Oh my god! It's Natsu of Fairy Tail!" or "KYAAAAAHHH! Natsu!" and that would be my cue to run for my life. It's not every day you'd see a guy with pink hair.

I sighed.

Not that I'm not thankful for the fans, but sometimes they'd get overly excited then do some crazy shit. Trust me, I am speaking from experience.

I remembered one time, while Gray and I were out buying some things, there's this one fan who really wanted to take a picture. So being the gentlemen that we are, we agreed. But when we were just about to leave, she called out my name. So basically, I turned around with a smile on my face and ask if she wanted anything else. Lo and behold, she's right in front of me in mere seconds, her hand stretched towards my... crotch? Luckily, my reflexes were fast enough to dodge it just in time. What did you expect? I didn't want to hit or swat her hand and I also didn't want to be mean at a fan, especially to a girl, even at a time like this.

Gray and I were stunned for a second by the boldness of this girl. I looked at her incredulously, clearly taken aback by her actions. But she was just there looking at the both of us while giggling to herself. We just simultaneously muttered that we're in a hurry and we needed to go, while we turn around and walked briskly away from her. I remembered Gray mumbling something about desperate girls and how unfortunate I was while we walked through the mall. It was just plain embarrassing right? You're in a mall then someone just tried to grope you.

I laughed at myself while I walked, remembering what happened that day. My face heated up when I saw some people gave me a strange and questioning look. _Crap._

"Oh, great. Now they look at me like I'm some kind of a lunatic." I whispered to myself as I tugged on my scarf to hide more of my face.

I could feel my sling bag and its contents hit the left side of my body as I walked. I suddenly had the idea of mentally checking if I brought everything I needed with me, cursing myself for not doing it before I left my apartment.

 _Oh! Never mind!_ I thought exasperatedly.

I walked a little bit more for about 5 minutes then smiled as my favorite café comes into view.

I jogged slightly to get there faster, not bothering if I looked like an excited child to other people. And as soon as I opened its door, it immediately greeted me with a mouth-watering smell and the oddly familiar sound of the bell that indicates if a customer had entered.

I just stood there for a second and breathed in the overwhelming smell of coffee and pastries then smiled. It's like a whole new atmosphere in here. I really missed this place. It's been awhile since I came here. I used to come here a lot to relax and write some songs, but unfortunately, I've been doing that less and less because of our schedule.

I looked around the café, and noticed that it didn't have a lot of people, given the fact that it's almost past lunch time.

 _Thank god. That's a relief. I won't have to think about getting mobbed here. I could write at peace._ I thought to myself.

Then, a tapped on my shoulder brought me back to reality.

"Natsu?" asked someone behind me in a hushed voice.

I don't even have to guess whose voice was it. When I turned around, I saw, as expected, the petite blue-haired girl smiling up at me.

"Natsu!" She shouted suddenly then hugged me tightly.

This petite girl is Levy McGarden. She is one of my many childhood friends. We basically grew up together so she's like a sister to me. Levy is also the owner of this café. The Book Dragon's Café.

Yes, I know it's a pretty weird name for a café but hey, who am I to judge.

"Hi Lev. Good to see you." I said and smiled at her. "But could ya keep it down. I don't wanna attract any people right now." I continued as I adjusted my hood so it still covered most of my hair.

It's a good thing the other customers didn't hear her.

She just laughed at me then punched my arm.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm just glad you're here. It's been forever since your last coffee here. Maybe a month or two? Well, I kinda understand though. I guess you've been busy with your band eh?" she said then chuckled.

"So, what brought you here, oh Great Salamander of Fairy Tail?" she asked teasingly as she eyed the things I brought with me.

 _Salamander._ The nickname some fans gave me. Really now? A lizard? Seriously? But a fire one, at least.

I just shrugged. "Uhm, your coffee?" I replied questioningly then smiled.

"Yeah right." She said while rolling her eyes. "I already knew though, from the looks of you." She motioned her hand over my guitar then chuckled. "You're same as always Natsu."

I sighed then gave her an apologetic look.

"Sorry Lev. I'll be disturbing this café for the next hour or so."

She just laughed at me again.

"No worries. It's no big deal. You know you're always welcome here even if you don't order anything." She said teasingly. "I'm just glad that you find this place very special for you to come and write your songs here. That's good enough for me" she added then smiled.

I smiled at her in return.

"Thanks Levy." I said. "One day, I'll make it up to you."

"Oh please, you don't have to do anything. That's what friends are for." She stated while playfully hitting my arm again. I winced but still managed to laugh at her.

"So, where are the other guys?" she asked after a moment.

"Ohoh..." I said with a smirk on my face. It's my turn to tease now.

"Are you actually looking for all the guys or just one guy?"

"I… I don't know what you're talking about Natsu." She said as she looked down then started playing with her apron absent-mindedly.

Haha. Nailed it.

"I know you know what I mean Lev." I said grinning at her. "I'm talking about, ehem, Gajeel."

I tried to mimic her voice when I said Gajeel's name.

She just stared at me in disbelief with her mouth slightly opened. I burst out laughing the second I saw her reaction but I immediately cupped my hand over my mouth, remembering something about why I shouldn't be so loud in here.

I saw Levy glaring at me, a blush slowly tinting her cheeks pink.

"Y-you… H-how did you..." She said but trailed off.

"Oh Lev, you know that both of you couldn't hide that from us. We're all literally friends since childhood. We all know each other like the back of our hands." I said while still laughing.

Her eyes widened for a bit but she immediately covered her face, muttering something to herself.

It's not a secret to us that she was attracted to our metal-faced bassist and vice-versa. However, those two were just so stubborn. They would always deny their feelings whenever we brought up the issue.

But we knew better. We weren't strangers for god's sake. We knew each other so well so it's really hard to keep things like these only to yourself.

"But really Lev, the two of you should really just hit it off. Like Jellal and Erza maybe?" I told her while I wipe the tears that pool at the side of my eyes.

"Ughh… as if it's that easy Natsu." She said after lowering her hands."You know how that guy's brain works. It's like having feelings for a wall." She continued as she spread her arms as far as she could. "An extremely thick wall!"

She simply let her arms fall limply at her sides then sighed.

"I just wish he would do something about our situation. I know that we both feel the same way but it's not like we girls should make the first move." She stated then crossed her arms in front of her and pouted.

"Don't worry Lev." I said to her as I placed my hand on her head. "He'll eventually confess his undying love for you one of these days."

She slapped my arm but still laughed at my statement.

"Yeah, very funny Natsu." She stated sarcastically while rolling her eyes.

Then the sound of the bell made her look past me and smile. Widely.

I wonder who that could be. A friend? A regular customer?

"Oh, sorry Natsu, I need to go. Just go sit anywhere you like. I'll bring you something to eat and drink later. Don't worry, it's on the house." She told me and smiled.

"Alright. Cool. I'll go sit on my usual place. Thanks by the way Lev." I said then smiled at her too.

"Don't mention it. I'm just really glad that you came here today." She said for the last time and waved before she went to attend the newly arrived customer, I guess.

I, on the other hand, went on my way to sit on one of the empty seats at the farthest corner of the café.

I leaned my back against the glass wall, my mind drifting to our supposedly new album. We had already written a few songs but we still need a few more to actually complete the album. Not to mention we still have to arrange the notes of some songs.

So I took my pen and notebook out, and then sighed when I saw its contents.

 _I really need to sort this out._ I thought as I placed it on the table to grab my guitar.

I carefully peeled it off of its case then placed it on my lap. I tuned it a little bit before I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply.

"It's now or never." I muttered to myself before playing the first part of the unfinished song.

* * *

**This fic will have a lot of chapters so please bear with me. This is my first fanfic and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment, review or constructive criticism. Anything that will make my writing or this fic better is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

And also, I do not own Fairytail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	4. Chapter 4: Clandestine

CHAPTER IV

"Clandestine"

Lucy's P.O.V:

I opened the café door, smiling as it assaulted me with an amazing smell.

My eyes glanced around the café, ignoring the stares that several people gave my direction, hoping to find my bestfriend.

I then spotted her talking to a guy with a guitar. I couldn't actually see if it's a guy or not with most of his head covered up by his jacket's hood. I just took a guess from the height and body built.

 _Hmm? Well, she looks happy. I wonder who he is._ I asked to myself.

Judging by the looks of it, their conversation's just about to end.

She waved at him one last time, ending their conversation, and then made her way towards me. I guess she already saw me as soon as I stepped inside her café.

My eyes lingered a little bit on the guy but shifted immediately on my friend upon hearing her voice.

"Lu!" She shouted enthusiastically while waving her arm.

She almost ran to greet me, nearly tripping when her foot got caught on one of the chairs.

I giggled ever so slightly at her. _This girl really is clumsy._ I thought. _But I love her anyway._

I shook my head slightly then started walking to meet her halfway. She's literally hopping in excitement when she got to me. I couldn't contain my smile when I hugged her tightly.

"Hi Levy!" I greeted her with the same enthusiasm.

"Oh Lu, I missed you!" she said as she hugged me back tightly.

I just laughed a bit at her and said that I missed her too. She held my shoulders and examined me at arm's length then pouted.

"Then why haven't you visited me for two whole weeks?" she asked in a voice full of hurt then she crossed her hands in front of her chest.

But I know she's just messing with me.

"Well, I don't know. I guess I've been pretty busy lately…" I said as my fingers tapped my chin. "With work… and you know, other important things…" I replied then shrugged.

"Hmmph! Other important things huh…" she said while she looked away from me.

"Yup." I stated proudly then waited for her to look at me.

After a moment she slowly looked at me and then as if on cue, we both laughed at the same time. Oh I really missed this girl.

"But really Lu, you should come by here every day-"

"Every day?" I asked, interrupting her.

"But we never got to bond again after you left me all alone." She said with her puppy eyes. "You know I don't know anyone with the same passion for books other than you. I need someone who I can geek with." she whined.

"You're so silly Levy." I said then laughed a bit. "But, yeah, I might just do that." I added a second later.

She looked at me incredulously, like what I've said didn't make any sense.

"What?" I asked her. "I had to take a break sometimes. And these following weeks won't be so hectic for us. I just might be able to visit you every day or every other-uumph!" I was cut off when she launched herself at me.

"Yeyyy! Lu!" She half screamed and half laughed as she bounced happily while hugging me.

I laughed at her reaction but still managed to hug her bouncing form back, making me bounce with her as well. Her laugh subsided a minute later. She finally detached herself away from me then looked at me suspiciously.

"Do you promise to visit me here every day?" She asked while her eyes narrowed skeptically.

"Yes, of course! Every day or, uhm, every other day." I answered her. "I believe that my body needs to relax too, you know." I said then I placed my hands at my hips.

"Well, in that case…" she said while adjusting the headband that's been keeping her blue hair in place, and then clapping her hands once, a wide smile already formed on her face. "You can start relaxing now." She added then started dragging me towards an empty seat. "I'll bring your regular and then we'll talk. It's pretty slow today anyway. But before that, I have to check on someone first. So sit back and relax. Okay?"

"Yeah, sure Lev. Take your time. No need to rush. I won't go anywhere." I told her and smiled as I ease myself on one of the chairs.

"I'll be right back." She said while she place her hands on my shoulders for a bit, clearly implying for me relax while waiting, then went and disappeared somewhere in the café.

I had nothing else to do since I was left all alone here, so I decided to listen to some music while I wait for her to come back. I pulled my pink earphones out then started browsing my playlist.

 _There It is._ I thought when I saw my preferred band.

I pressed the play button and waited for their music to fill my ears.

 _I planned it out perfect_

 _Practiced and rehearsed it_

 _I could see it everytime I close my eyes_

I closed my eyes, leaned back on my seat and listened intently to the song.

 _Destined to make it_

 _So close I could taste it_

 _Only waiting for the planets to align_

I smiled.

Fairy Tail. I really love their music. It's like they always pull out their emotions and then turn it into one of their songs.

 _Walking in to take it all_

 _But then I slipped and fall_

I remembered a friend of mine, who's really a diehard fan of this band, saying that this song wasn't really on their album and only a few people have heard this. I still don't know how she managed to find this but I'm glad that she did.

 _I'm at the right place_

 _But at the wrong time_

 _I had my one shot but forgot the line_

 _I'm always stuck in second place_

 _But I know one day I'm gonna win this race_

This one song is totally different from all their other songs. They sounded so raw in it.

 _I'm on the right track but took a wrong turn_

 _I made a sure bet and I still got burned_

 _But I'm about to catch a break_

 _So don't say it's too little too late_

She said that they recorded this but didn't make the cut for their album. I wonder why. It's pretty good on my opinion. I don't know, but it's like they're telling us the story about the years when their band was still struggling.

 _Don't say it, don't say it_

 _Don't say it's too little too late_

Well, maybe it's just my interpretation though. I just really like to dig deeper and read between the lines.

 _Watchin' and waitin'_

 _But losing my patience_

 _So I step outside and try to clear my mind_

I sighed.

Speaking of this band, I wonder what happened to them. I haven't heard anything new from them.

Are they taking a break?

 _I stare at the sunset_

 _And suddenly get it_

 _All I have to do is make it mine_

Hmm. No, it can't be. They only had a tour recently.

 _Walkin' in to take it all_

 _But then I slip and fall_

Well, if it's true then they're really taking their sweet time. I thought then scoffed to myself.

 _I'm at the right place_

 _But at the wrong time_

 _I had my one shot but forgot the line_

 _I'm always stuck in second place_

 _But I know one day I'm gonna win this race_

But I wonder what's taking them so long.

 _I'm on the right track but took a wrong turn_

 _I made a sure bet and I still got burned_

 _But I'm about to catch a break_

 _So don't say it's too little too late_

They didn't even say anything to their fans, like an interview or something. They just vanished all of a sudden after their tour.

 _And I know I've got a long, long way to go_

 _Yeah I know I gotta make it on my own_

Well, whatever it is they're doing, I just hope it is for the good of their band.

 _I gotta stand up for myself_

 _And when I fall I'm gonna get up off the ground_

 _Every minute, every hour of everyday_

 _I can make it_

 _Yeah I'm gonna find a way_

 _Yeah I'm gonna find a way_

My eyes remained close as I listened to the rest of the song, bobbing my head and tapping my foot occasionally to the beat, clearly enjoying the music.

And as the song ended, I opened my eyes then tapped my phone to stop the next song from playing.

I glanced around the café hoping to see a certain blue-haired girl but after a moment I gave up and leaned back to my seat again. I couldn't find her anywhere.

 _Hmm. I wonder where that girl is_. I thought then sighed.

"I guess she's pretty busy with something at this moment." I mumbled to myself while still scanning the café.

I was about to continue my little moment with some music when my eyes landed on a certain guy that's sitting at the edge of the café, wearing a hood and a scarf, and playing a guitar.

My eyes suddenly widened in realization.

 _It's that guy._

* * *

A/N:

***The song that Lucy was listening to was actually "Too Little Too Late by Faber Drive"

* * *

This fic will have a lot of chapters so please bear with me. This is my first fanfic and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment, review or constructive criticism. Anything that will make my writing or this fic better is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

And also, I do not own Fairytail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima. 


	5. Chapter 5: That Guy

CHAPTER V

"That guy"

Lucy's P.O.V:

 _It's that guy._ I said to myself. _The guy that talked to Levy awhile ago._

I pulled my earphones off and leaned slightly on the table with my hands cupping both sides of my face. I then tilted my head a little to get a better view of his face. I looked at him and narrowed my eyes slightly, scrutinizing him and his every move.

He's sitting maybe 15 feet away from me, with a red and orange guitar on his lap, his back slightly leaning against the glass wall. He was just playing his guitar, stopping occasionally to sip his drink, to munch on his muffin, or to write something on his notebook.

 _Hmm… So he's writing a song huh. Well, that explains why he's playing the same chords over and over again._

A few minutes have passed but I was still staring at him.

I sighed.

 _This guy is so weird. Of all the places he could practice and write, he just had to pick Levy's café. Well, I can't blame him, of course. This place is so relaxing and all. Oh, maybe he was getting her permission awhile ago. Hmm... But I wonder what's wrong with practicing in the confines of his house. Well, whatever._

My eyes lingered slightly over his face. I noticed that he kept his eyes closed most of the time he played his guitar, his brows were kinda knitted too like he was really concentrating and…

 _Wait, is that… Is that pink? He has pink hair?_ I thought, staring at it with wide-eyes.

I'm having a hard time confirming it with his head being covered and all, but from what I could see from here, it's pink.

 _Yup, absolutely pink._ I thought then giggled a little. _Wow. That's seriously an odd hair color._

Weird but I found myself amused by this guy. There's just an air of confidence to him that I found compelling. And after a few minutes of watching him, I noticed some things that rather made me smile.

The way he bites his pen when he's deep in thought and the way he pokes his tongue out while he furiously writes something were absolutely adorable and I don't think he's even aware of it.

This guy's so oblivious. He's clearly wrapped up in his own tiny bubble, making music. He's so absorbed in his own world that he hasn't realized that some people were staring at him while he played.

I snorted.

And did I ever say that he plays well? Actually, he's really good, plucking and strumming the strings of his guitar with ease, gliding his fingers on it easily like he was just caressing it and…

 _Whoa…_ I thought when I felt something tug at my heart while watching him. _That was weird…_

 _What was that…?_

 _Why am I feeling this way…?_

 _This is so weird…_

Just the way he held his red and orange guitar like it's something that's really precious to him made my heart swell.

My mind says to look away but my eyes just won't comply. They were always lured towards him, tempting me to watch him and his every move. There's just something about him that's so alluring, captivating me with every strum. I just found myself holding my breath while watching him and I didn't even realize it until I was gasping for air.

 _Oh my god, what is happening to me…? Lucy, snap out of it! This is so stupid!_ I scolded myself.

My heart started beating at a much faster speed and I felt my face heat up with embarrassment when I realized what I was doing. It seems like I'm invading his privacy in some way.

 _Ugh, I feel such a creep._ I thought while I brought a hand to my cheek, trying to hide my blush.

 _Well, a good view is always appreciated, right?_ My inner self contradicted like a she-devil. _And it's not like you're the only one who's doing it._

I glanced around and studied the customers. Some of them were eyeing him too and some of them were just enjoying his music. I bit my lip then turned my attention back to this mysterious guy again. It doesn't actually help that I find this man quite charming.

 _Just look at those eyes and lips and—wait… what!?_ My eyes widened and I shook my head vigorously, perplexed at what my mind was telling me.

"What were you thinking Lucy? Get a grip." I whispered to myself while fanning my beet-red face.

But after a moment, I just couldn't help it and I sneaked a peak towards the unknown guy again. Aaaaaand there it is, my heartbeat going wild again. I sighed.

 _What is wrong with me?_

I closed my eyes then breathed in and out, forcefully trying to calm my erratically beating heart. It seemed to work a little, so I tried it a few more times.

 _His face is really familiar though._ I thought to myself.

 _I know I've seen him somewhere before but I just can't put my mind to it._

But just when my heart was about to beat back to its normal pace, I suddenly heard a voice that caused my breath to hitch and my heart to pound rapidly again.

Someone's singing. It's a little bit raspy but surprisingly very sexy. And I mean veeryy. It literally gave me chills down my spine.

I clenched my hands and slowly opened my eyes to look at the direction where that voice was coming from. And of course, as expected, it was him.

He's singing.

He's freakin' singing.

Ugh. I would be dammed if I say that it wasn't a panty-dropper, heart-stopper, or whatever you wanna call it. And oh my god, I'm pretty sure something just flipped inside me.

I just stared at him when it ended, clearly shocked with what I just heard. He just freakin' sang one verse of his song for god's sake, and here I am, mentally kicking myself for actually gaping at him.

I suddenly realized that my mouth was slightly hanging open and I'm convinced that it's not a very pretty sight to see so I reluctantly peeled my eyes away from him and shook my head lightly, trying to clear my mind the haze that this guy's voice has given me. I glanced around the café and noticed that some of the people were now gawking at him. Some people even took their phones out to record his playing.

Is this guy for real? Why is he so insensitive? Can't he feel that every person in this café that heard him was now looking at him? And not just looking, they're actually gaping, like me. He should be thankful that there aren't many customers today.

I closed my eyes and sighed.

"God, why am I acting this way? I feel so pathetic right now." I said to myself, and then slapped both my hands at the sides of my face. "This is so stupid. What's wrong with me?"

"Yeah, what's wrong with you Lu?"

I nearly jumped at my seat when I heard Levy's voice. I put my right hand over my chest and breathed out a long sigh of relief then I scowled at her.

"Levy! Don't scare me like that." I said, almost shouting at her.

She just laughed at my reaction as she placed the tray with my food and drink at the table. Then she sat at the empty seat in front of me. I glowered at her for a moment then looked at the tray she brought for me. I instantly smiled at the sight before me.

"Well, apparently you're acting pretty weird." She said. "You're mumbling something to yourself awhile ago. Uh, something about what's wrong with you. I think?" She added while eyeing me.

"Maybe if someone, uhm, let's just name this someone 'Levy'." I said to her but she only laughed at my remark and it only made me glower at her even more.

"Well, as I was saying, if that someone wasn't so busy, then I wouldn't be talking to myself and acting like a weirdo." I told her then leaned back to my seat, huffing exaggeratedly. "She also promised me that we'll talk once she's back. And I waited."

"I waited." I said, glaring at her while bobbing my head slightly.

"Patiently." I added while narrowing my eyes even more.

"I waited patiently, only for her to scare me and call me a weirdo." I stated, huffing as I close my eyes and puff my cheeks out while I look abruptly to my side.

"Okay Lu, I'm sorry." She said while still laughing. "I've been pretty busy at the back. You know I only have myself when it comes to this place." she stated then smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, yeah, I know."

I sighed then slowly looked at her.

"You know Lev, you really need some help here. Why not just employ someone?" I suggested, talking in a much serious tone.

"Hmm. I think you're right." She said while looking thoughtfully around her café. Then she sighed. "I'll admit that I could really use some help here. I thought I could still do this by myself but I guess I was wrong."

"Maybe this week I might start looking. Posting an ad might help too..." She added while still looking around.

"Lev."

My tone made her look at me with questioning eyes.

"Just tell me if you need help with anything, alright?" I said, my voice filled with concern. "I'm always here for you, you know that right?" I tilted my head then smiled at her.

"You can—wait Levy! Why are you crying?" I asked incredulously while pushing aside the tray she had brought then grabbed her outstretched hand immediately.

"It's just that..." she sniffed. "I'm just so happy today."

"Really happy." She said then sniffed again.

I exhaled rather loudly a breath that I don't even know I was holding. Relief flooded my face as her words registered into my mind. She was just happy. Those were tears of joy.

"Oh, Lev." I said smiling. "You're so emotional sometimes, you know?" I teased, laughing a bit.

It seemed to work because she laughed heartily at me.

"But really now." she said then paused.

She dabbed her apron on the sides of her eyes to wipe the tears that pooled in them.

"I'm really glad you're here Lu." She continued then smiled.

I smiled at her warm words.

 _Oh what would I do without this girl_. I thought to myself while reaching for my drink.

I was gonna take a sip when I heard a strum of guitar again. I was somewhat shocked when my body went rigid. I spared a glance at this guy again then lowered my drink.

"Uhm, Lev, can I ask you something?" I asked when my attention was back to her.

"Yes, of course. What is it?" she replied, tilting her head to the side.

"Do you know who that guy is?" I asked while pointing the mysterious guy who's playing the guitar. "I saw you talk to him awhile ago. Is he a regular customer here?"

She looked at where my finger was pointing, recognition dawned on her face, and I watched how her mouth opened like she was going to say something but immediately closed it again.

"Uhh, that's… Uhm, that is…" she said stuttering a bit. "That guy is a childhood friend of mine." She told me after a moment with an uncertain smile on her face.

"Oh really? A childhood friend? Does he live here too?" I asked then looked at the guy again.

"But I've never seen him around here. And you never did mention to me a guy like that before." I stated before looking at her skeptically.

She just laughed at me.

"Well, I guess I forgot to mention him. We don't really see each other that often Lu. I was actually shocked when I saw him here today after a few months." She stated.

I narrowed my eyes at her and hummed my reply but decided to drop the topic. I'm not complaining or anything. I just find it odd. Normally, you'll introduce or mention someone like that to your bestfriend, right? But she didn't even give a name for this childhood friend of hers. I wonder what's going on. I know she won't lie to me. But right now, I know she's not telling me everything either.

 _Well, if she doesn't wanna talk about it, I guess I just have to respect her decision. She'd respected my decision before, so now it's time I return the favor. We know each other very well and I know that she's not gonna leave me hanging for a long time. I know she'll tell me everything I want to know soon enough, I just have to wait._ I thought then smiled kindly at her.

The sound of the bell made her look up and excuse herself.

"Wait. I'll be right back Lu." She said then smiled apologetically.

"Yeah, sure Lev." I said then smiled at her too then watched her walk away to attend the newly arrived customer.

I ever so slowly sneaked a glance again at the slightly-not-so-mysterious-guy-anymore then sighed.

"You don't need this Lucy. You don't need any more distractions. You don't need any more problems. You've already got a big pile of them. Please don't add anymore." I whispered to myself. "Why are you even acting like some love sick person? And towards a guy you know nothing about?"

 _Well, maybe it's because you're interested in him!_ My inner voice exclaimed.

But I dismissed it right away with a shake of my head before it could even plague me with fantasies regarding a certain guitar-playing, pink—I think—haired guy.

I hesitantly peeled my eyes away from him then started picking the food Levy had brought me. I need to distract myself somehow, anything to get my mind off from this stranger which is clearly not working right now. I tried eating my food and then fumbling with my phone a minute later. I even tried closing my eyes for a few minutes, telling myself not to open them until Levy comes back. But when I caught myself staring at this guy again, I know I am dammed for the rest of my stay here in Book Dragon.

* * *

A/N: I'd like to thank those who took their time reading this, uhm, fanfic.. really.. Every single comment makes me happy T^T  
and i would also like to apologize for updating this late. forgive me.

* * *

**This fic will have a lot of chapters so please bear with me. This is my first fanfic and I would like to know your thoughts about it. Please leave a comment, review or constructive criticism. Anything that will make my writing or this fic better is very much appreciated. Thank you so much.

And also, I do not own Fairytail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	6. Chapter 6: Notebook

CHAPTER VI

"Notebook"

Lucy's P.O.V:

Levy and I had been talking for a few minutes now, my food and drink was long gone, but it looks like we still have a lot of things to talk about. And, yes, I still did spare a glance at the guy from time to time, and I know for a fact that Levy is very much aware but only chose not to say a word about it.

Right now I was telling her something that happened to me at work.

"—and then when I was just about to finish, he landed another pile of paperwork at my desk. Can you believe that guy?" I huffed. "I'm just lucky that Cana was there to help me."

"Oh Lu, is that on a daily basis? I mean, that's just unfair." She said, frowning. "I know you're still new to the job but that's not a reason for him to treat you like that. I even know that you're very much qualified for a higher position."

"No, no. That's just one time Lev. My boss isn't as bad as you think. Uhm… Well, kinda." I told her then laughed. "But don't worry. I just caught him on a really bad mood that day. That's why."

"And thanks by the way Lev. What you said really mattered to me" I added then smiled.

"No problem Lu. Everyone who knows you would say the same thing."

"But, if you don't mind me asking…" She said but trailed off.

She leaned forward at the table and whispered. "What's the latest news on your soon-to-be novel?"

I just smiled at her but didn't actually give her an answer. It's just so much fun teasing this girl.

"Luuuu…" she said then pouted. I laughed out loud when I saw her expression.

"Alright, alright." I said still laughing. "It's far from reality actually. It's not finished yet. I only had made some drafts. And, noooo Levy, you're still not allowed to read it."

"But Luuuuuu..."

"No." I said sternly.

"Luuuuu..." she begged with her hands folded in front of her face. "Please?"

But I only stared at her with a blank expression.

"Hmpphh!" she pouted then leaned back on her chair. "Suit yourself Lucy Heartfillia. But I promise, one day I'm gonna steal it and read it to my heart's content." She said while pointing a finger at me.

I just shook my head and laughed at her, wondering if I was talking to a child.

"You're such a dork sometimes. You know that Levy?"

"Yeah I know. But you love me anyway." She stated then laughed. She was only cut off a second later when the bell rang. Again. I think that's the 6th time it rang since we started talking. So much for a "slow day" like Levy said.

Both of us didn't even bother to say anything. We just looked at each other then sighed. She shrugged a moment later and gave me an apologetic look that clearly says 'I don't have any option but to do this, sorry' before she left again to attend the customer.

I glanced at my watch and noticed that it's already quarter past one. I leaned back to my chair then thought of ways to distract myself again. I still couldn't get my mind off of this guy. It didn't help either that he's still playing his guitar, making me hyper aware of his presence. He's been going at it for an hour now and I am not so sure when will he stop. I closed my eyes and rummage through my brain again for 'new-ways-to-distract-Lucy'. Funny, but thinking of ways to distract myself actually helped me in distracting myself. But my moment of self-celebratory was ruined a second later by an oh-so-sexy-sound that was coming from this guy. I groaned then leaned my head back and brought my hand up to hide my face.

 _Oh, great. He's humming now. Ugh! Why does he always do that whenever Levy isn't around to entertain me? WHY!? Or maybe I'm just being aware of it now because no one's here to actually divert my attention. Does he know what his voice does to me? It feels like I'm melting into an unattractive pile of goo. Literally!_ I thought exasperatedly.

But even though I'm trying my best to restrain myself, another part of me still wants to look at him and see what kind of expressions his face makes right now. I don't know why but I'm really curious and it's taking all my self-control not to look at him.

I was currently having an internal conflict when I heard his playing and humming stop. I was hoping that he'd resume what he's doing but it didn't happen, instead, I heard a noise like 'something' had just bumped into 'something' then followed by 'someone' cursing. I'll admit that I was kinda relieved that this guy had now stopped after almost consistently playing for about an hour.

I opened my eyes and momentary look around the café, noticing that some of the customers are now looking at his direction. My curiosity got the best of me and I slowly looked at his direction too. I saw him struggling to place his guitar inside its case with only one hand while his other hand firmly gripped the phone on his ear. I wonder what's going on. I could see that he's in a hurry, shoving his phone in his pocket and all his other things in his bag all at once after placing his guitar.

He stood up and then looked around the café like searching for something or someone, but he just sighed after a moment then darted towards the door while gripping his guitar firmly, muttering a lot of 'sorry's' and 'excuse me's' along the way. He didn't even realize that he dropped one of his things when he passed in front of me.

"Hey!" I shouted to get his attention, but he didn't seem to hear it.

I stood and picked up what seemed to be his notebook and examined it. It's just plain black on the outside. Its edge was slightly torn indicating that it has been used quite often. I studied its covers for awhile before glancing outside at the not-so-present-guy-anymore.

 _He already left. Way to go Lucy. You missed your chance to give this back to him._ I thought to myself while I made my way back to my seat.

I sighed.

"What am I suppose to do with this?" I said to myself as I fumble with it, looking at its front and back covers. There's nothing to look at anyway.

But then, I remembered him writing awhile ago. And it slightly gave me chills when I realized what the content of this notebook is. I slowly lifted the cover but slammed it down again with both of my hands.

"I shouldn't be doing this." I whispered. "I should just give this to Levy. Maybe she knows how to give this back to that guy, him being her childhood friend and all."

 _But a little peek wouldn't hurt, right?_ My inner voice tempted. And I guess she won cause I just found myself lifting the front page again. I just didn't expect the contents to be this… uhm… messy.

I quirked an eyebrow and studied the first page. Words, sentences and all kinds of chords jumbled into one page.

"How does he read this?" I asked myself while squinting my eyes, still trying to figure out how to read certain lines. "I couldn't even understand any of this."

But as I glance through the pages, I slowly realized that those first few pages were just like a scratch. It's like it had gone through the trial and error process and now, I am looking at a finished product, a beautiful and exquisite creation.

As a writer, I'm really impressed with what I am seeing right now. I can't believe he wrote all of this.

 _Just who is this guy? How could he write these kinds of lyrics? Where does he get his inspirations for these?_

It's like a composition of feelings that turned into words. Some are deep and some are just… I don't even know how to describe it… I am now eagerly flipping through the pages, scanning it the best way I can.

 _These lyrics are beautiful._ I thought. _How much more if he put a melody to it. I guess it'll be perfect._

And as I was flipping through the pages, I noticed something that looks like an unfinished song. It's missing some of its lyrics or rather some of its lines. It's like the ones in those first few pages, but much more organized. I examined the written lyrics intently and felt my heart clench. I don't even know what inspired him to write these lyrics but it surely was very deep. It was like he was talking about everyone's expectations at a certain someone. Maybe it's everyone's expectation of him. I don't know. I was surprised that I was able to relate to his lyrics even though what I read was only partial. I can't help but remember the times when I was still on my hometown. It wasn't a very fun place to be, especially when everyone expects you to be someone you're not.

I just wanted to say to him in every possible way that it's gonna be alright, that it's okay to trip sometimes but you should get up everytime too. My hand itched to write its missing lyrics, my writer side taking over me every passing second. It's getting me frustrated, so I dug through my purse for a pen or a pencil, anything that I can use to write in his notebook and decided to end this frustration of mine.

My brain suddenly went hyperactive, arranging the words I needed. But when my pen was about to scribble the words, I found myself hesitating a little bit, debating whether I'm really making a good decision or not.

 _I don't even know if he'll like it or not. Will he think that it's good or I'm just plain annoying, writing on someone else's notebook without permission? Oh god. Now I think this is a bad idea._

I was thinking of not doing it but as usual my inner voice contradicted my decision again, saying that it won't hurt to try and write my feelings down. And guess what, she won again. This is just plain stupid. I'm starting to think that maybe I really am going crazy.

 _Well, here goes nothing._ I thought and then with a final push, I started to write down the words I wanted to convey.

 _Maybe redemption has stories to tell_

 _Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell_

 _Where can you run to escape from yourself?_

 _Where you gonna go?_

 _Salvation is here_

 _I dare you to move_

 _I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor_

 _I dare you to move_

 _Like today never happened_

 _Today never happened before_

I breathed out a sigh of relief when I was done writing it. I lifted my hand away from the notebook and stared at it for a few minutes. Clearly, my handwriting didn't match the rest of its content but it didn't matter. I just really wanted to express what I was thinking.

 _Besides, it's not like he would go looking for the one who scribbled all over his notebook, right? Uhm... Right?_ I contemplated for a second then smack my face with my left hand.

 _Oh who am I kidding! Ughhh! Of course he'll be pissed at whoever wrote in his notebook._ I thought a minute later.

"I just hope that it's just a moderate pissed." I whispered to myself while closing his notebook.

 _But it would be better if he actually like it, right?_ my inner voice said.

"Yup, that would be better." I mumbled to myself.

I was putting my pen back to my pouch when I heard my phone buzzed from a message. I checked it and saw that it was Cana.

 **Cana** : _Hey Lucy! I know we're both on a day off today but could you spare me some time? Please? I really need your help._

I frowned at her message but decided to respond to her immediately.

 _What could possibly be her dilemma now?_ I thought.

 **Me** : _Cana. What's the matter? Are you too drunk again to go home by yourself and at this hour?_

 **Cana:** _No! That's not it. I'm at home and I'm not drunk. Well, kinda. But you know me, I can't live without my booze. But, that's not the reason I texted you… I kinda need your help with something. And I won't take no for an answer._

 **Me:** _Alright, alright. It better be worth my time Cana. If this was some kind of plan to lure me into drinking with you, I swear you're going to regret it._

 **Cana:** _Yes Miss Heartfillia. This is really an emergency. I'll just meet you somewhere okay? I'll text you the place after a few minutes. I'm just gonna get myself ready._

 **Me:** _Okay. See you in a few minutes._

I sent her my message then shove my phone inside my purse. I glanced at the notebook again and decided that maybe it's time for me to return this. So I looked around the café and searched for my blue-haired friend. I noticed that she's on the counter now, so I made my way towards her. I leaned slightly on the counter then called her to get her attention.

"Hey Lev."

She turned around when she heard my voice then looked at me with questioning eyes.

"Lu? What's the matter?" She asked me while tilting her head to the side. "Is everything okay?"

"Yes, yes, everything's fine. But… Uhm… I think that the guy back then had accidentally dropped this." I said coyly while sliding the notebook across the counter. "You know, the guy that was playing the guitar awhile ago."

I preferred to describe him that rather than her childhood friend. I just don't want things to be uncomfortable.

She furrowed her brows then looked at the notebook before glancing over the place where the guy was sitting awhile ago and noticed that he wasn't there anymore.

"I was about to give this back to him but then I saw that he already left." I stated rather quickly, my hand never leaving the black notebook.

She looked back at me quizzically and then at the notebook and then back at me.

"Uhhh… Okay…" she said, taking the notebook from my hand and smiled. "I'll give this to him when he comes back."

"Thanks Lev." I said, smiling back at her.

"Oh, you're already leaving Lu?" she asked while eyeing my bag.

"Uhm, actually yes." I said then smiled apologetically at her. "You see, Cana sent a message awhile ago and she wanted to meet up with me. She has some kind of problem. What kind of problem? That I don't know."

"Why don't the two of you just meet here?" she whined. "We've only talked for a few minutes, well, maybe an hour, and you're already leaving Luuuu."

"Oh Lev, that's really a great idea but I think you and your customers wouldn't appreciate it if someone oozing with the smell of booze will burst through that door right now." I said while pointing my thumb at the café's door.

She only sighed and then nodded gravely at me.

"Yeah. I guess you're right Lu." She said solemnly, but looked at me hopefully a second later. "But you'll be back right?"

"Of course." I told her quickly and then fumbled through my purse when I heard the sound of my phone.

While I was checking my phone, I could see her make her way towards me from the corner of my eye.

I looked at her then waved my phone slightly in front of me after checking it.

"Well, it's Cana." I said to her. "I guess I'll go now. I'll see you later Lev."

"Alright. Take care Lu. Come back as soon as you can. Remember, we still have a lot to talk about." She said then smiled.

We both hugged each for a moment then muttered a simple "bye" before I sauntered towards the door. I breathed deeply then stretched my arms above my head when I was outside the café. I couldn't help but think about the guy and his notebook again.

 _I'm sure he'll be back to get his notebook._ I thought. _I just hope that he won't be pissed when he sees that someone had written something in it._

I looked back and saw Levy smiling at me. I smiled back at her then waved for the last time before I turned around and hailed a cab.

* * *

a/n: Once again, i would like to thank those who took their time reading this fanfic ^_^


	7. Chapter 7: Lost and Found

a/n: Before anything else, I would just like to thank you all for reading this fic and commenting, reviewing, or whatever you wanna call it. I read all your reviews and I really appreciate it. I just wanna say that I love you all and yep, i'm kinda cheesy. sorry.

I still don't own any content from Fairy Tail and all the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.

* * *

CHAPTER VII

"Lost and Found"

Natsu's P.O.V:

Some people say, well, my bandmates especially, that there's actually something I unintentionally do when I'm seriously working on a song, and that is becoming oblivious to my surroundings. I don't even know whether I should call it a gift or a curse. Like really. They always say that it's as if there's no one around me. I would just sing or hum out of the blue. There's just no stopping me. My mind would focus solely on writing the song. It'd take a lot of effort to actually snap me out of it. Or, maybe, if someone would in fact take time to smack some sense out of me, well, maybe that might just actually work.

On the other hand, they'd also tell me that it always amazes them whenever they see me genuinely work on a song. They say that it's like I'm a different person. My ability to tune out everyone and everything around me is something exceptional and admirable.

But I see nothing extraordinary about it. I'm just simply letting all my emotions out, pouring everything into a song and allowing music to take over me. Like any other musician would.

Pfft. As if I would write a song half-heartedly. Never.

It's just that, sometimes, it can be a little inconvenient.

Like, at this moment, I could feel my phone vibrate through my pocket, and I seriously wanna answer it. But I'm on a roll right now. The words and melodies are all coming to me in a rush and I just don't want to let go of this feeling or this moment yet.

Seriously, what is it with phones? They're so annoying, always ringing when I'm doing something important. Well, maybe not all the time, but most of the time. I swear every person who calls me always has the perfect timing, really.

I sighed.

Well, maybe it's just the timing of the texts and the calls that's annoying me. Like, right now. It's vibrating annoyingly. It's really getting hard for me every second to ignore it. So I opened my eyes defeatedly and stopped playing. I fished my phone out of my pocket then swiped the screen without even looking at it. I doubt that this was the first call they've made and I kinda felt bad for not answering immediately, but all these ringing was starting to get on my nerves. I just wanted to get this call over with.

I brought my phone to my ear and was greeted by a slightly irritated Gajeel.

I instantly froze in my seat, Gajeel's voice suddenly forgotten, when my eyes glanced around the café. My eyes widened at the sight before me. Almost every customer is now regarding me with curious eyes. Some of them were even recording me, only stopping when my eyes caught them. My heart hammered inside my chest and I started to panic a bit.

 _Shit._ I thought, snapping out of my trance. _Did they recognize me?_

I quickly adjusted my hood then winced when my guitar accidentally bumped the side of the table.

"Shit." I said rather loudly, vocalizing the word that was in my head only a second ago.

 _This is bad. I'm drawing too much attention right now._ I thought while I brought my phone back to my ear.

I was exasperatedly trying to place my guitar back to its case with my free hand when I heard Gajeel speak again.

"Oi, Salamander. Ya there?" The voice grunted.

"What the actual fuck, Lug nuts." I retorted breathlessly while still struggling to place my guitar. "You just had to disturb me while I was in the middle of—."

"I hate to break your rambling but Gray here is starting to act a little like Erza." He interrupted. "He's getting pissed at you again, ya know. Gi-hee."

"What!? What did I do this time?" I asked incredulously while still trying—yes, I'm still trying—to put my guitar back to its case.

"Nah. Ya did nothing wrong Salamander. You just forgot our band meeting again." He replied before his booming laugh assaulted my ear.

"Oh shit. The meeting." I whispered then shoved my phone back in my pocket without even ending the call. Surely, I would get an earful about this from that guy later, but I couldn't care any less. I just need to get to the studio now.

Fortunately, my guitar was now back in its case, so I let it go momentarily before hastily shoving all my things inside my bag. I picked it up a moment later then stood up and glanced around the café. I was hoping to find Levy and thank her for letting me spend some time in her café, but I couldn't see her anywhere. Instead, my eyes fell on a clock of some sort that was hanging on the wall near the counter.

 _1:25 P.M._ it displayed. My mind suddenly replayed the conversation I had with my bandmates earlier.

" _We'll adjust the time just for you flamebrain."_

" _Be here at exactly 1:00 P.M. You hear me?"_

" _We really need to work hard for those new songs. All right guys? Natsu?"_

" _And don't forget, 1:00 o'clock P.M. Natsu."_

" _Studio. One o'clock. Don't be late."_

 _1:00…_

 _1:00…_

 _1:00…_

I sighed defeatedly.

 _They will surely beat me up with their instruments later when I get there._ I thought as I strode rapidly across the café, ignoring the puzzled looks some customers gave me. I just muttered some sorry's and excuse me's while I rush towards the door.

I don't know how or why, but thank the heavens, there's already a cab waiting outside.

I told the driver the place as I slipped inside the cab. Then I suddenly covered my nose and mouth with my free hand, nearly gagging when an awful smell flooded my nose.

I carefully placed my guitar beside me then leaned slightly towards the driver.

"Please, can you just…" I told him, my hand still covering my nose while pointing with my other hand the thing that was currently hanging in front of his cab's air-conditioner.

He looked at me dubiously, then at the pine-tree-shaped air-freshener, then back at me.

 _Oh for the love of all that is holy._

"Remove it." I hissed impatiently through clenched teeth while motioning my hand in a snatching gesture.

Unfortunately, even though he already discarded the abominable thing, the scent still lingered inside the cab making me gag and groan all throughout the ride as a result which was very pathetic. I saw the driver glance at me worriedly a few times. I don't even know if he's actually worried about my condition or worried about me puking inside his car. I don't care. I just want this ride to be over.

Thankfully, we arrived just before I could actually throw up in his car. I hastily opened the door once the car had skidded to a stop and then took huge gulps of fresh air before paying the driver. I took my guitar then slammed the door shut, mumbling to myself about how I hate the smell of those damn air fresheners. I was groggily walking towards our studio when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked back and saw Gajeel smirking at me.

"Well, 's about time ya got here Salamander." He said almost accusingly but then laughed when he saw the look on my face.

"What happened to ya? Ya look like shit." He commented while still laughing thunderously. "Got mobbed again?"

"Shut up Metal face. I didn't get mobbed." I retorted then swatted his hand away. "What are you even doing outside in the first place? Where's Gray?"

"I don't need to answer ya flame breath as to why I am outside but Gray went out and bought something. He said something about cooling his head. I guess ya really got to his nerves." He replied then started to walk inside the building.

I rubbed my free hand over my face then started walking too.

"And Jellal?" I asked when I caught up with him.

"He's inside." He said while jerking his head towards the direction of the door that lead to our studio/meeting room.

My hand was just about to grab the doorknob when I suddenly remembered a certain person.

"Well? Aren't you going in?" He asked when he saw the look of hesitation in my eyes.

"Yeah, well, there's no red-haired woman in there, right?"

"As far as I know, Jellal's the only one inside now. Erza had to be somewhere today. Why?" He asked and then realization dawned on him.

"Gi-hee. Don't tell me you're scared Salamander." He mocked while leaning against the door, a mischievous smile playing at his lips.

"Just shut the fuck up Lug nuts." I snapped at him then shoved his shoulder before opening the door.

To my relief, Jellal was the only one in the room, sitting on one of the stools while fiddling with his guitar and noted that there was no red-haired barbarian in sight. He suddenly looked up when he heard the door open. His gaze was stern but then softened a second later.

"I thought I heard some voices." He stated while lowering his guitar on the stand. He stood up then walked towards me. "Well, it's about time Natsu." We clasp our hands together then gave each other that awkward one hand bro hug, only releasing it after we patted each other's backs.

"Is it just me or is 'It's about time' suddenly became the catch phrase of the day?" I said jokingly while making little quotation marks with my fingers. "Now I only need to hear Gray say it."

Jellal only laughed good-naturedly at me even though there's a slight hint of confusion on his face.

"We were beginning to think that you're not gonna show up." He said while going back to his previous seat, grabbing his guitar then started to fiddle with it again.

"Mind telling us where you have been?" He asked while looking at me. It's clearly not a form of request on his part but a command.

It didn't look like he's a tiny bit annoyed at me but I have a gnawing feeling that I'm being interrogated right now. I just shrugged it and plopped down on one of the smaller sofas after placing my guitar beside me then raised my feet up on the center table.

"I just went at Book Dragon's and visited Levy for a free coffee and muffin and I didn't notice the time." I said then grinned as I saw Gajeel's ears visibly twitched.

"I was also writing some songs there." I told them a second later which earned me a pleased look from Jellal.

"I was really doing well until some Metal-mouthed bassist decided to ruin the moment by calling me." I said as I started to dig through my bag, only stopping to glare at Gajeel who's currently lying down on the larger sofas beside me, an arm slung over his head.

"I'm glad he did tho." Jellal stated, sliding his chair closer to mine. "Let's take a look at it then. We'll give it a go when Gray comes back."

"Wait." I said, slightly panicking. I suddenly sat up then emptied the contents of my bag on the center table. All kinds of things including some of my trash spilled out of my bag but I don't care. I'm just staring at a pile of various things. No sign of a notebook in it.

 _Shit._

I looked at Jellal dubiously who looked at me skeptically in return, brows furrowed.

"Uhh… I think I dropped it somewhere." I said incredulously.

"Natsuuu…" Jellal said while rubbing his forehead like he's currently having a headache, before pinching the bridge of his nose. "You're not making this up, are you?"

"Of course not." I said with slight panic. "All the songs that I have written so far were there. I can't afford to lose it now." I added while rubbing a hand to my forehead much like Jellal.

"Wow. Ya really are an idiot." I heard Gajeel muttered behind his arm before sitting upright and laughing his 'gi-hee' laugh. "I wonder what will Gray think when he hears about this."

"Maybe I dropped it on my way here." I said, stating it more to myself than the two other guys around me, brushing off Gajeel's remark. "But I only went to Levy's, then the cab, then here. Ugh! I hate this. What if I had dropped it when I was in the cab? I don't even remember anything other than trying to survive the ride. I was pretty groggy that time due to that monstrous thing. Ahhhh! Curse you!" I pulled my hair and tried really hard to suppress the dread that's slowly creeping over me. All the songs that I've poured my heart and soul into… All the time that I've spent on writing them… I feel like dying now. Ugh. Pathetic.

"We still don't know if that's really the case Natsu." I heard Jellal spoke after a few seconds. "Let's check Book dragon first. And hope that it's actually there."

"Yeah, that would be best." I agreed. "Oi, Lug nuts..." I turned to Gajeel who's currently giving me peculiar looks.

"Call Levy." I told him.

"What!?" He barked. "Do it yourself. I don't take orders from idiots like you."

"My phone's dead." I lied.

"And I certainly don't have her number." Jellal interrupted. "I think you're the only one in this room who knows her number besides Natsu."

I looked at Jellal knowingly, thankful that he'd simply caught up to my antics in getting Gajeel and Levy together. Maybe he's also tired of those two playing hard to get.

"Just inform her that we'll be there in a few minutes to find a lost notebook, goddammit." I told him exasperatedly when I saw him hesitating. I quickly dumped all my things inside my bag again before heading for the door.

"I'll go with you Natsu." Jellal stated then stood up, placing his guitar over the stand again before looking at the very much troubled Gajeel a moment later. "And, uh, Gajeel… Just wait for Gray. Tell him what happened and wait for us here. Alright?" He instructed him before disappearing on the other room. Gajeel just grunted enough for Jellal to hear, his nose still on his phone.

Jellal emerged shortly after wearing a hooded jacket and sunglasses to hide some of the tattoos near his right eye. "Tell Gray no more dilly dallying." He said for the last time before we set out to find my much valuable notebook.

* * *

"You're really a lifesaver Lev. Seriously. Thanks." I repeated for the umpteenth time after she returned my notebook.

"Yes, thank you Levy. You really saved our butts." I heard Jellal say a second later.

We're now currently standing inside the back part of her café for our own safety. She had offered us some chairs shortly after we arrived but we politely declined it, knowing that we wouldn't probably stay that long.

"You do know that you two already thanked me a couple of times right?" She said teasingly before laughing slightly. "And I already told you that it was my friend who saw you drop your notebook in your haste." She added while pointing a finger at me. "Unfortunately, I was at the back when you decided to leave."

Jellal took the notebook from my hands and examined the songs that I wrote, nodding his head a little as he read though it before flipping to another page.

"Yeah yeah. Sorry about that." I said to Levy then sheepishly rubbed the back of my head. "I forgot to thank you for letting me spend some time here." I said to her apologetically before looking over at Jellal who was still studying the songs.

"It's no big deal Natsu. Don't worry about it." She said then smiled earnestly at me. But before I could even smile back at her, Jellal suddenly spoke up.

"Hey Natsu…" He interrupted then pointed something in my notebook. "You sure you wrote this?" he asked with an arched eyebrow.

"Of course." I replied quickly, not even bothering to look at what he's pointing.

"No, you don't understand. I'm talking about these lines here specifically." He said while tapping that part with his index finger.

I looked at him exasperatedly but the look he gave me clearly says that if I don't look at the damn notebook right this instant I would regret it.

I sighed defeatedly and examined the part he was talking about.

"I'm pretty sure that I was the one—" I said positively but trailed off, frowning as my eyes scanned the lines. "What the—" I took the notebook from Jellal and examined it closely. It definitely wasn't my handwriting. It was quite obvious really. These lines were so neat and simple yet so elegant, clearly written by someone who has really good penmanship. While the rest, which was surely my handwriting, was readable but looked like it had been written hastily.

"I-I didn't… I didn't write these." I whispered almost inaudibly at Jellal as I tapped the page once with the back of my hand.

"I thought so." He replied, taking hold of the right side of the notebook with his right hand then looked appreciatively at the lines again.

I looked back at it and frowned but decided to scan the words again like him. We were now both holding it and looking at it with awe and disbelief. We were awed that such words now filled the missing part but also in disbelief how such words now filled the missing part. It was perfect. That's all I can say.

I suddenly felt very exposed. Honestly, I based my lyrics either in a personal or a secondhand experience. All my lyrics were deep at some point. But this one, this unfinished one, this was really personal. And whoever filled the missing part of it really paid attention to my words, read it carefully, almost dissecting it to the point that that person knew the exact words I needed.

"Uhm…" Levy suddenly spoke making us both look at her.

I could see that she was going to say something but Jellal cut her off.

"Did you write these, Levy?" He asked, slightly tilting his head. "I'm sure these were written by a girl." He added, looking back at the said lines.

My breath hitched a little when Jellal asked that to Levy, now that he mentioned it, it does look like a handwriting of a girl, but his question seemed to catch her off guard.

"I don't know what you're talking about Jellal." She replied, looking quite lost in our conversation.

"Here." He said while approaching Levy, offering her my notebook and pointing the lines to her. She slowly arched her eyebrows while reading it before sighing and looking at Jellal. "I think its Lucy." She said in a barely audible voice.

"What?" I asked her skeptically.

She had almost face-palmed as soon as the words left my mouth.

"Lucy. She's the friend I was talking about awhile ago. The one who saw you accidentally drop your notebook." She stated.

"Oh." I said obtusely, still trying to process Levy's words.

 _So basically, this friend of hers decided to fill my missing lyrics out of the blue. And In all honesty, turned out pretty good._

"Excuse me Levy but what does your friend do?" Jellal asked, interrupting my trail of thought. "Is she a musician too, a writer, or maybe among those lines?"

"Yes, she's a writer so I'm not that surprised she could write these kinds of things but…" she stated, looking thoughtfully at the page, but trailed off. "It's not her habit to snoop in someone else's stuff, trust me, let alone write in it." She added a second later before handing the thing back to me then sighed.

"Well, that explains it." Jellal said before his phone rang. He simply fished it out of his pocket and studied the screen. "It's Erza." He stated then distanced himself to take the red-hair's call.

"I hope you're not mad at her Natsu." Levy said while looking at me with a slightly rueful expression.

"Mad!?" I asked then looked at her in disbelief. "Are you kidding me?"

She tried to say something but I cut her off.

"I'm fuckin' ecstatic!" I stated then laughed. "It's not every day I get to see something like this on my notebook. Seriously, I wanna meet her Lev and thank her for these." I grinned then waved a hand over the lines.

"Uhm, yeah, sure." She said then smiled at me. "I'll tell her that you want to meet her and thank her personally. But I'll keep your name a secret."

"And why is that?" I asked her, frowning.

"Well, you see… She's a fan of yours. Uhm, your band actually." she stated "I just don't want her to be shocked."

I just looked at her incredulously and frankly, a little speechless.

"She really loves your music Natsu." She added a second later and smiled.

I don't know why but knowing that the girl who wrote in my notebook was a fan of our band had an impact over me. She didn't even know that the notebook belonged to me, one of the members of the band she liked. A wide smile instantly made its way across my face. This would be interesting.

"Now I really want to meet this friend of yours Lev." I said, still smiling broadly.

"Hold that thought Natsu." I heard Jellal say behind me seriously but noticed that he too was smiling. I didn't even notice his presence until he laid his hand on my shoulder. "I have a better plan." He added when he saw the look on my face.

"You see… Erza called and informed me that we have a live performance on a TV show this coming week." He stated matter-of-factly.

* * *

After informing Levy of the plan, Jellal and I thanked her for the last time and casually strolled out of her café wearing our hoods and shades for his part. I looked at Jellal and noticed that he was currently dialing a number. He placed his phone in his ears when it connected.

"Is Gray there? Great. Now listen. Set up the instruments. No buts." He instructed to, who i think is Gajeel, before glancing at me. "Get ready guys. We have a song to practice." He said, smiling when he saw my elated expression.


	8. Chapter 8: Secrets

A/N: Once again guys, thank you for your reviews. I can't even express how much I appreciate it all. It inspires me to write more, so thank you. Really guys, thank you. T^T I love you all.

* * *

CHAPTER VIII

"Secrets"

Lucy's P.O.V:

"What's the big deal Levy." I said to her exasperatedly over the phone as I entered my apartment. "You won't even tell me anything. I know you're up to something. Don't even deny it McGarden. I just want to know what's happening."

I dropped my things on the couch and instinctively walked towards the window to gaze outside. It's a little past 5 now. The sky had just started to darken, leaving the city in its twilight glow. The people outside didn't seem to be fazed by the change. In fact some of them preferred to walk home either from work or from school, or just simply stroll by this time of the day and wait for the nightlights to appear. It all made the city much livelier now.

"Just trust me Lu, okay?" I heard Levy say over the line, making me frown a bit.

I wonder what's happening to Levy, or why is she doing this.

I remembered these past few days had been great for the both of us. At first we couldn't actually talk for more than a few minutes due to the large increase of number of her customers but thank the heavens Levy took my advice and hired someone within that week. Her name's Juvia and she's a very charming woman. She has pretty blue locks that wave past her shoulders and pretty blue eyes that shame the sea. She's perfect for the job but you couldn't help but wonder why she spoke like a third person. It's been easier for Levy since she employed Juvia, making most of the tasks and managing the café much lighter and simpler for her.

All in all it's been a great week. We got to bond and talk over the weekend too. But lately she's been acting a little weird, especially today.

She's been trying to tell me the whole day to go home at a certain time and that's it. She wouldn't even answer my simple questions like 'What is it?', 'What's the matter?', 'What is happening?', 'Why do I need to go home at this certain time?' or 'What's gonna happen when I go home?', leaving me a little bothered and frankly, clueless. She would only tell me from time to time to just listen to her and go home.

I sighed.

"Well Lev, I'm home, what do you want me to do now?" I asked, finger combing my hair as I walked around the living room.

"Just relax now Lu." She replied. "And don't do anything else. I'll call you again after a few minutes."

"Can I at least sho—" I asked her but stopped when I heard the beep on the other line, indicating that she had already cut me off.

"—wer…" I trailed off dubiously.

I sighed and frowned at my phone for a moment before walking over to my sofa.

 _Well, relaxing after a hard day's work isn't a bad idea at all._ I thought to myself as I sat and made myself comfortable.

I was currently taking my blazer off when a message from Levy suddenly popped up on my screen.

 **Levy:** _Turn your TV on and put it on FMC. ASAP._

"What?" I whispered and frowned at the message for a minute before grabbing my remote and turning my TV on. I don't usually watch TV so I don't remember which channel was it, I just remembered that it has music oriented shows and one of them was hosted by a guy named Freed Justine. I flicked through the channels in search for that certain channel, stopping when I saw a familiar green-haired guy.

I turned the volume up a little and heard the audience yell their approval at what he had just said.

"Yes, yes. I know you're all excited to see our next guests, I too am seriously excited to see these guys again, knowing that we all haven't heard any news about them since their recently successful tour." The man with the long green hair, who I assumed was Freed Justine, said enthusiastically to the audience. He extended his arms on his sides, palms facing up, and continued his monologue. "And I am honored that they had chosen this platform or rather this show for their first live TV appearance after a few months of laying low. And I know for a fact that they do have some good news for all of their fans." And with that, the audience once again cheered their appreciation.

My phone rang all of a sudden, displaying Levy's name on it.

"What's this Lev?" I asked her as soon as I picked up.

"Just watch it Lu." She replied impishly, making me snort.

"You want me to watch this? You do know that you're not making any sense right now, right? Why do you even want me to watch this in the first place, huh Lev?" I asked. "You should be thankful that I'm on a mood for something like this. You really owe me an explanation after this Levy." I told her a second later.

"Yeah, yeah. I know." She stated then laughed a little. "And just so you know, I am currently watching it too, so just trust me Lu, okay? This won't take long and I promise that I will answer all your questions after."

I hummed my response before glancing at the TV once again at the same time the green-haired guy called out his next guest or guests.

"—so everyone, please welcome…" He trailed off and gave the audience a mischievous grin. "Fairy Tail!" he shouted and clapped before turning around.

I gasped.

 _Fairy Tail?_

Suddenly, one of their songs played as his large background screen had split into two, revealing the four members of Fairy Tail. My eyes suddenly went wide. They're really making a TV appearance now after months of break. The audience went wild, especially the girls, upon seeing the four guys. I can't blame them though, not only that these guys are very talented, but they're also literally hot as hell. Jellal was the first one to step on the stage followed by Gajeel and Gray, and lastly Natsu. People were clapping, cheering, shouting and calling for their attention but they just waved and smiled politely, while walking towards Freed. Well, the three of them actually smiled and waved but the tall, bulky one with lots of piercings, which is Gajeel, was just walking casually with a smirk on his face. They each took turns in shaking hands with Freed before taking a seat on the large couch in front of the smaller one, which obviously was for the host.

"From your right everyone, Jellal, Natsu, Gray and Gajeel." Freed stated, pointing his hand at each one of them that gave a smile and a one hand wave to the crowd in return, while the people cheered and shouted.

 _Wow. I can't believe it. It's really them._ I thought while I stared and gaped at the TV.

"So guys…" Freed started after clearing his throat when the cheers and shouts of the audience had died. "How have you been these past few months?" he asked, glancing at the four guys in front of him.

"We're good."

"Yup, we're good."

"Good."

"Yeaahh, just like what they all said."

The guys said one after the other. But Freed and the audience laughed at the last sentence, which was spoken by Gajeel.

"What?" Gajeel asked good-naturedly while looking at Freed. He jerked his thumb over his bandmates and laughed. "Don't really wanna copy them but it's the truth. We're all good. Never been better, I should say." He said rather smugly then gave them his gi-hee laugh.

 _Wow. I never thought that big guy could actually make the audience laugh._ I thought when suddenly I heard someone giggle over the line.

"Levy? Oh my god, Levy! I'm so sorry. I didn't notice you're still there." I apologized to her. I'm not even aware that I was still holding my phone over my ear until I heard her laugh.

"No worries, Lu." She said then laughed. "I also forgot to tell you that I won't be ending this call right away because I want to hear your reaction. I guess I got carried away by the show."

"Uhm… My reaction? My reaction to Fairy Tail?" I asked her skeptically.

"Uhhh… Yeah. Your reaction to Fairy Tail's TV appearance. Yes, yes. That's it." She said then laughed nervously.

I snorted.

"You're so silly Lev. You know I won't be fan-girling right now." I told her a little defensively but then I saw the camera focused on Natsu once again and on his grinning face and I groaned. "Yeah, well… Maybe a little." I admitted defeatedly which earned hysterical fits of laugher coming from Levy.

"Just try to keep your panties in place while you watch them, alright Lu?" She said teasingly.

"Yes, I'll try." I replied, playfully rolling my eyes before turning my attention on the TV again.

"Yeah, that's right." Natsu agreed on something Freed had said, his grin never leaving his impossibly good-looking face.

I guess I'd missed a lot already while I was talking to Levy.

"We do have an announcement to make." He added then turned to look at his bandmates. "Drum roll please." He instructed, and then the four guys dramatically drummed their hands on their laps which made the audience laugh once more.

 _These guys are such dorks._ I thought, giggling when I heard Levy said the same thing on the phone.

The guys had abruptly stopped their antics on Natsu's hand flick and the chuckles of the audience were suddenly replaced by cheering and clapping when he announced that they would be having a concert in celebration of their band anniversary.

 _Wow. They're having a concert. That's new. I think they never had one before, just their shows and gigs and their recent tour._

"Wow!" Freed said elatedly. "A concert? That's a pretty big announcement there. But really, it's about time guys you have your own concert." He added with a big smile on his face. "I think all the people in Fiore would agree, right?" He said, turning his attention to the audience and they all gladly shouted their approval.

"And for further details, just visit our website guys. It's back on business again." Jellal added good-naturedly.

"But our news doesn't end there." Gray said and smiled smugly. "You see, there are actually two reasons why we've been gone for a few months." He looked over at Natsu and nudged him.

"Yeah. That's right." He agreed. "There are two reasons."

"Uhm, first…" Natsu said while lifting a finger for emphasis. "As you all know, we were preparing for our concert." Freed only nodded to Natsu's statement and urged for him to go on.

"And second…" He paused after lifting another finger.

"We are currently on the process of making another album!" He told the audience excitedly with a large grin.

The people applauded and cheered once again, definitely pleased at Natsu's announcement.

"Wow. I'm pretty sure all your fans would be delighted to know you're planning to release another album." Freed stated, smiling widely as he applaud along with the crowd.

"Yeah… Well…" Natsu said but trailed off as the crowd's applause started to fade. He sheepishly rubbed the back of his neck. "It's pretty much like a 'thank you' gift for all the people who supported and still supporting us, so… We're really hoping that you would all like it. It would really mean so much to us."

 _Aww. He's so adorable._

"We all know that it'll be a great album guys and all your fans are gonna love it. And since we're talking about your supposedly new album, why don't you guys give us some sample? Is there any chance you could play a new song?" Freed asked hopefully.

"Well, I thought you'd never ask." Answered Gajeel, which made Freed and the audience laugh again.

"You heard them folks. They are going to play a new song!" Freed shouted enthusiastically at the crowd who eagerly cheered again.

"But first, before all that, we're going to have a quick break. So don't change your channel. We'll be right back." And with that the commercials came flooding in.

"Lev?"

"Yeah?" She answered and I was kinda shocked that she really didn't hang up.

"Uhm, I know you know that I really love this band, and I really appreciate that you made me watch their interview, which I haven't heard about until this very moment, but…"

"Nuh-uh Lu." She interrupted. "I promised I would answer all your questions after this, right?" she reminded me which I couldn't argue with. I heard a slight tint of complacency on her tone but I chose to ignored it and just agree with her.

"Alright. Fine." I grumbled. "But no more excuses after that."

She just laughed at me and said, "I don't want to say this but, you really should prepare yourself Lu."

"Huh? Prepare myself for what?" I asked her but her answering laugh told me that she's not going to answer my question at any moment, but I tried again. "Prepare myself for what Levy." I asked in a menacing voice. "I swear Levy, if something…" I was cut off when I heard Freed welcoming the viewers once again.

I sighed and decided to drop my question. I just focused on watching the show. Freed and the guys of Fairy Tail were now standing on some kind of a wide platform while talking, their instruments now properly placed behind them. And I can't help but frown when I noticed the acoustic guitar that had red and orange designs on it. It looks oddly familiar to me.

"So guys, can you give us some hint on what this song is about or what inspired you to write this song that you're going to perform?" Freed asked eyeing them one by one.

The three guys just stared at Natsu who visibly breathed out a sigh.

"Well…" He started then rubbed the back of his neck again.

 _I just noticed, is that really his thing? Rubbing his neck when he's kinda embarrassed or shy? Hmm…_

"Uhm, well, I wrote this one and y'all know how I write our songs. It's based either on a personal or secondhand experience." He paused.

"This one's kinda personal and I don't really wanna go into more details now. You get the point. So fast forward guys, I was planning on wrapping this song up but, I don't know, I just can't find the exact words that I want to say or write, whatever, and I just left some of it blank for awhile."

Freed was just staring at him so he decided to go on.

"One day, I went to this café which was owned by a childhood friend of mine and decided to write some songs there. It was great actually. I had time to relax and I had also written some songs. Fast forward again. I hurriedly went to our studio that same day for our meeting, which I was late, and told them that I had written a few songs. Jellal suggested that we should give it a go, so I gladly complied, but noticed that the notebook that I had been writing our songs on wasn't on my bag. So we quickly went to Book D—our friend's café to look for it because that's the only place I've been to. And fortunately, my friend has it. She said that someone or rather some friend of hers had picked it up when I accidentally dropped it."

"And he/she didn't recognize you Natsu?" Freed asked for the first time since Natsu told his story.

"Yeah, well, no... She—" He paused. "She really wouldn't recognize me that time cause I tried to hide most of my very-normal and not-so-interesting pink hair and my very-normal and not-so-interesting face when I went there." Natsu replied with a grin and Freed only nodded.

I frowned.

 _Wait. This story seemed too familiar to me. Did he say pink? And was he gonna say Book Dragon?_

My breath hitched.

 _Oh my god._

 _No way._

 _There's no way._

 _It can't be him._

My heart started pounding inside my chest, my mind racing a hundred kilometers per hour as I tried to recall the day I went to Levy's café a few weeks ago.

"Actually, I'm pretty sure that she's currently watching this now, so I'm going to try something." He suddenly went back stage and when he emerged again, I gasped. He was now wearing the same jacket with a hood and a scarf that looped around his neck close to his face, like the day I saw him at Book Dragon.

 _Oh my god…_

 _This can't be real…_

"Ohh? What's this?" Freed asked, clearly intrigued.

"Well, I wore this when I went to my friend's café." He responded, looking at his jacket and tugging it for emphasis. "Fortunately, people don't recognize me, as long as I keep this—" He pointed his hair. "—hidden."

"Yes, I can see that." Freed stated and laughed a bit.

Natsu looked at the camera, adjusted his scarf and waved. "Hi friend's friend!" He grinned. "I hope you recognize the guy who dropped the notebook now." He said playfully. And I felt my cheeks burn in embarrassment.

"So as I was saying," He started again while shrugging his jacket off. "This friend of hers had picked it up and did something rather unusual to my notebook…" He trailed off. "Let's just say, she did something that helped me a lot in finalizing this song." He said then smiled brightly. "So I—"

"We." His three bandmates interrupted.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh." He said, lifting his hands in defense. "We—" He emphasized, eyeing each of his bandmates. "—wanted to thank her by playing this song."

I could feel my heart pounding so hard right now. I am excited and nervous at the same time.

 _Is this really happening? Somebody pinch me!_

"That was quite a story." Freed chuckled which made Natsu rub his nape again, apologizing silently to him. "Anyway, thank you for sharing that Natsu. And now, we are all ready to hear your new song, right?" freed said and the audience agreed with him.

Natsu smiled widely and pumped his right fist upwards.

"Yeah! I'm all fired up now!" He shouted enthusiastically, making the crowd cheer again.

"Alright! Give it up for Fairy Tail!" Freed shouted ardently to the audience who applauded and cheered once again.

The Fairy Tail guys made their way towards their instruments once Freed had gotten off the platform. Gray on drums, Gajeel on bass guitar, Jellal on electric guitar, and Natsu on acoustic guitar which was very surprising. We all know that he plays some instruments but only does it occasionally on their shows, so this was a very pleasant surprise. And I know for a fact that his fans would be screaming and dying right now after seeing this. Much like me, who's literally dying every second now.

The audience applauded for the last time before the lights had focused on the band.

Gray counted by striking his drumsticks together three times before Natsu strummed his guitar. He moved towards his mic then sang the first verse while still strumming continuously.

"Welcome to the Planet."

"Welcome to existence."

"Everyone's here, everyone's here."

"Everybody's—" Gajeel and Gray soon followed him with their bass and drums. "—watching you now."  
"Everybody waits for you now."  
"What happens next?"  
"What happens next?"

Natsu paused and moved away from the mic but moved immediately towards it again before closing his eyes and singing the next part.

"I dare you—" Gray dramatically made a drum roll while he banged his head once. "—to move."

"I dare you to move." Natsu sang with so much emotion that I had to choke back my own emotions just to keep myself in check.

"I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor."

"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to move."  
"Like today never happened." He tilted his head and shook it a little.  
"Today never happened before."

"No way." I breathed, placing my hand over my chest. I feel like my heart's going to burst any moment now. I just can't believe it.

 _My words. Those are my words._ I thought. _The words that I had written on that notebook, the notebook that was apparently Natsu Dragneel's!_ I internally screamed. _He made it into a song! One of their songs!_

My brain just can't process it all.

Natsu opened his eyes and looked at Jellal who was currently waiting for his part. He nodded at him then went back to the mic.

"Welcome to the fallout." He sang before Jellal strummed his guitar, overpowering Natsu's acoustic one but it had more impact now which made the song more powerful. They both faced each other and strummed both their guitars passionately, bobbing their heads in sync with their guitars before Natsu went back to his mic.  
Gray did another epic drum roll while Natsu sang the next part.  
"Welcome to resistance."

"The tension is here."  
"The tension is here."  
"Between who you are—" Gray and Jellal abruptly stopped, leaving Gajeel and Natsu to play their instruments on their own. "—and who you could be."

Gray made another drum roll before Jellal strummed back again.

"Between how it is and how it should be."

Natsu closed his eyes once again before singing the chorus.

"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor."  
"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to move."  
"Like today never happened."  
"Today never happened." He still sang the chorus with so much emotion, making his face scrunch a bit when it came to the high notes, bending his knees a little and tilting his head back occasionally.

"Maybe redemption has stories to tell." They all stopped playing except for Gray who only played the hi-hat, and on Natsu's stomp, they all once again resumed playing.

"Maybe forgiveness is right where you fell."  
"Where can you run to escape from yourself?"  
"Where you gonna go?" They all ceased their playing again when Gray hit the cymbals, leaving only Natsu to sing.  
"Where you gonna go?"  
"Salvation is here." Gray and Jellal resumed again and Gajeel soon followed after Gray made another impressive drum roll. And Natsu once again sang his heart out.

"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to lift yourself up off the floor."

He stepped away from the mic and breathed in deeply before singing again.

"I dare you to move."  
"I dare you to move."

And I went full retard when I heard him sing the notes that were obviously much higher than before.

"Like today never happened," He shook his head slightly again.  
"Today never happened,"  
"Today never happened."  
"Today never happened before." Natsu tilted his head back after singing the last line.

And the song ended with the last note hanging on their instruments. With that, the audience went wild, applauding and shouting their admiration for this band. The guys were heaving but they were all smiling. I mean their smiles were all smiley. I don't even know what that means but that's just the perfect way to describe it.

They clearly gave their all on their performance tonight which was always given when it came to Fairy Tail's performances. It was amazing. They were amazing. That's all I could say. I was left stunned on my couch, completely enthralled by their performance.

The crowd's applause and cheers only died down when Freed once again made his way to the guys on the platform.

"WOW!" He shouted as the members of the band gathered beside him. "That was one awesome performance guys. And I do understand now what you meant about that song being personal. That was such a great song, right?" He asked the audience which gladly approved again.

The guys of Fairy Tail just laughed but I'm pretty sure that they were elated too. You could just see it in their eyes. They were still high on their performance.

"Thank you so much. We're all glad that you all like it." Natsu stated. "And we just wanted to say that we're all very delighted to be back again." He said, his bandmates nodding vigorously beside him.

"We're all glad too that you're finally back Fairy Tail." Freed said whole-heartedly before turning towards the audience again.

"Fairy Tail, everyone!" He shouted, motioning over the guys beside him and the crowd once again applauded and cheered while the guys made their way towards the back stage.

I didn't move an inch since the start of their performance until now. I only snapped back to reality when I heard my phone ring. It displayed Levy's name.

"Levy." I breathed after my hands shakily answered it.

"Lu!" what happened to you!? You just suddenly went silent when they were having their performance. The last thing I heard you say was 'no way' and then you didn't answer me anymore. So I decided to hang up then call you again, hoping that you didn't actually die from a sudden heart attack." I heard her sigh on the other line.

 _I get it now..._

 _Levy's strange behavior today, the familiar guitar, the notebook, his story…_

 _Oh, it all made sense now…_

"Alright McGarden, you have a lot of explaining to do." I said to her once I regained my sanity. "Start talking now."

* * *

A/N: Sorry guys, i need to write another one of these after the story.  
The song they supposedly performed is called "Dare you to move by Switchfoot". It is an old song but it's really good, so i suggest you guys to listen to it to get the whole picture of when FT was performing.

****I still don't own any content from Fairy Tail and all the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	9. Chapter 9: Moment of Truth

A/N: Guys, sorry if I didn't update the story last weekend. I've been busy and it's just so hard to write when you have other things in mind. I apologize too for the delay on this chapter. I hope the contents will do the story justice. Thank you for still sticking with me. Even though my updates are irregular. I promise I'll do my best to update every weekend. But for this week this is all I got. Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER IX

"Moment of Truth"

Lucy's P.O.V:

"Cough everything up or you'll never hear anything from me ever again." I threatened her while turning the TV off. It's about time I hear her explanation about this thing that almost turned my world upside down. No, that's not right. This thing really turned my world upside down.

I told myself that I should consider the fact that from the day we first met, she had never pushed me to tell her everything that she needs to know about me. She just simply waited for me to tell her those things on my own, in my own pace. I told myself that I should probably return the favor now.

I heard her sigh on the other line.

"Yeah Lu, I'll tell you everything. I just don't know where to start." She said then sighed again. I wonder what's keeping her from telling me the entire truth. Honestly, I'm starting to get a little upset despite the things that I told myself earlier about being considerate. She's my best friend. She should know by now that I can be trusted.

 _Well, she's now on the process of telling me, right? So I really shouldn't be complaining anymore._

"How about you start from the very beginning, Levy. I need to understand everything." I stated, not even bothering to hide the displeasure in my voice.

"You already know that he's one of my childhood friends Lu." She said. "Well… All of them actually."

"WHAT!?" I suddenly sat up. "ALL OF THEM!?"

 _Oh my god. I didn't expect this._

"Oww Lu." I heard her complain. "No shouting." And I just can image her wincing at the screech of my voice. Surely this girl doesn't think I'm exaggerating my reaction, right?

"S-sorry Lev." I apologize to her. "I…I just can't believe it." I said, stuttering a bit, clearly shocked with what I just heard. "Y-you mean you knew them since childhood and you've been friends with them since then?" I asked her incredulously.

"Technically, yes." She replied casually. "We all grew up together. Well, except for Jellal cause he had to move away sometime when we were kids. He only went back here again after high school." She explained nonchalantly.

"Whoa…" I leaned back to my couch and tried to process this information. "Y-You're… Wait—" I said, stopping midsentence when a thought occurred to me. "Why haven't I heard of this before, huh Lev? I've met some of your childhood friends but I didn't recall them ever mentioning about the guys of Fairy Tail. Come to think of it, all of them actually didn't say a word about this. Don't you all trust me? I'm your friend you know." I told her, slightly hurt which what I truly felt that time.

 _Keep it together Lucy. You need to be more understanding about this. I'm sure Levy has the perfect reason why she needed to hide this from you. It's not like you never did this kind of thing yourself before._ I reminded myself all the things that had to be reminded.

"Yes you're my bestfriend Lu and I do trust you. It's just that—" She sighed. "I made a promise and I want to honor that. Without their consent you can't just expect me to say something like this out of the blue right?"

I felt myself frown at her words. I rose from my seat and started pacing around the living room just to keep my emotions in place. This conversation is clearly upsetting me, but I'm trying real hard not to be.

"How about when I asked you about that guitar-playing guy, who's apparently Natsu Dragneel? Why didn't you tell me then?" I asked calmly. "All you said was that he's your friend. You're childhood friend." She could've told me back then but she chose not to. The thought of it made my heart clench, but I still willed myself to listen to her explanation.

"I already told you Lu, I made a promise. We all made a promise. That knowing them personally should be a secret. They said that it's for our own good, of course. They just wanted to protect us from the media and fans alike. We understood that. And we, their childhood friends, agreed that we should protect their personal lives too just like how they protected ours, so all of us swore to keep it to ourselves Lu." She explained. "Even from our new friends."

Her last sentence made me stop on my tracks. Never, in my stay here in Magnolia, especially when I'm with Levy, had I ever felt myself as an outsider. Just this once. And it took all my will power not to snap at her.

"Like me." I said a few seconds later after I had properly checked my emotions in place.

I just stood still for a moment and waited for an answer but I figured I wouldn't get anything judging from her lack of response. So I continued.

"I know you had your reasons Lev and I'm not judging you for that. It's just that… I just can't imagine that you, of all people, would hide something like this from me." I said to her while I start pacing around the living room again. "You know—" I sighed. "I just wish that you could've trusted me more. And I'm not saying this because I'm an avid fan of Fairy Tail, but because I'm your friend Lev. You're bestfriend."

"Oh Lu." She said guiltily. "I'm sorry. I know I had skipped some details when you asked me about Natsu, but I never did lie to you about who he is to me. I just can't reveal instantly that Natsu Dragneel was in my café right?" She said softly. "You know I would never lie to you. I just didn't want things to get awkward and I wanted to respect their decision to keep their private lives a secret. I hope you understand Lu."

I stopped pacing around and let myself sink in the couch again.

"Yeah, I guess." I sighed. "Like I said, I know you have your reasons. I'm just a little hurt, you know. That's all."

"Luuuu… I'm really sorry. I know you better than anyone else here and I should've trusted you." She said, her voice quite strained with guilt and I can't help but feel guilty too for giving her a hard time. I know she had perfectly good reasons why she had kept something like this a secret from me. I do understand. It's not like it's not practically understandable. But I can't help but feel a little bit hurt. Well, at least, she's willing to tell me everything I need to know and let me in now. And I'm thankful for that.

I sighed again.

"I understand Lev." I assured her. "But from now on, no more secrets, alright?" I said. The tension, that we didn't actually know was there, broke. And we both breathed out a long sigh.

"Yeah Lu." she agreed. "No more secrets."

"Promise?"

"Promise."

"Bestfriends?"

"Bestfriends." She answered and we both fell into a fit of giggles. It's good to know everything's okay between us. I can't bear to lose my bestfriend. This whole drama thing is kinda absurd anyway.

"Well…" I started. "I should say, that really surprised me Lev." I said to her light-heartedly now. "I still can't believe it. Especially the part when they played the song. Oh my god Lev, I can't even explain how I felt. My words. Those few sentences that I wrote on his notebook. I can't believe he actually liked it. Enough for him to include them in his song."

"Yeah, about that... I read it and I could say, you really outdid yourself on that Lu. What were you thinking when you wrote that? And it's not like you always do that on random notebooks. What made you do it?" she asked.

"Uhm… well… I was… I was planning on returning that to him through you but I guess my curiosity got the better of me." I replied, which was the truth. "And… when I read that unfinished song, it just hit me Lev. You know." I sighed.

"Yeah, I know you and your writer side. You're not going to let that opportunity to write pass by. But I didn't say it was a bad thing Lu. You heard him, right? You helped him quite a lot on finishing his song." She reasoned. "And that's a good thing."

Well, she's technically right. He did mention that I helped him. And playing that tonight was their way of thanking me.

"I still can't believe it Lev."

"If you couldn't get over that, I think you wouldn't even handle what Natsu was actually planning at first." She said then laughed.

"What!? What plan? And this was actually their plan? Not yours? And you had nothing to do with this?" I asked her dubiously.

"Well, a little." She admitted, laughing a little. "This was Jellal's plan actually."

I raised an eyebrow when she mentioned the name of the blue-haired guitarist.

"Jellal? Jellal Fernandez? Why?"

"You see, he was with Natsu when he went back at the café to look for his notebook." She said. "He was quite impressed with your words Lu. It was great timing that they have an interview today so he suggested to play that song tonight on the show to thank you for picking up Natsu's notebook and more importantly for unconsciously helping him on his song which helped them too cause, you know, they're currently writing their album and they needed a few more songs." She explained a matter-of-factly.

"You mean that song is going to be on their next album?" I asked, a little anxiously.

"I'm pretty sure that what they'd played on that show was one of their new songs, of course it's going to be on their new album!" She said exasperatedly but still laughed at me.

"Oh my god." I breathed. "I didn't expect this Lev, seriously. I didn't even know what I was thinking when I wrote those, I just wanted to make the guy feel that he's not alone in this, not that I know what he's thinking. I didn't even know he's Natsu Dragneel!" I added. "And now—"

"And now they all want to meet you Lu." She declared out of the blue.

"Yeah. Now they all—WHAT!?" I was going to agree with her but her words suddenly hit me. Did I hear her right?

"Yes Lu, it's true." She stated like she knew what I was thinking. "They all want to meet you. Especially Natsu."

 _Oh my god._

 _Somebody punch me right now._

"H-he does? Uhm, I mean they do?" I asked timidly. "But I thought…" I trailed off. I was gonna say that I thought they don't want others to meddle with their personal lives. But I restrained myself.

"Oh shush Lu. I know what you're thinking. It's okay. They really don't mind. And it's their idea not mine." She reassured me but I'm still a little hesitant because of what she'd said awhile ago.

 _But it's not like I pushed myself towards them. Levy knows that. It's partially not my fault that I wrote on an unknown guy's notebook. It's not my fault that that guy was actually my favorite band's vocalist. It's not my fault that he loved what I had written. And it's definitely not my fault that he and his bandmates wanted to meet me._

"But…" I hesitated. I don't even know whether I'm actually contradicting myself or Levy.

"Lu... They just want to meet you." She said softly. "The one who wrote those lines."

I sighed.

"Isn't it a little embarrassing Lev.?" I asked worriedly, thinking of what those guys would think of me.

"What? Of course not. Why would you be embarrassed? They're the ones who said they wanted to meet you in person, Lu." She stated casually, like meeting them isn't such a big deal.

"Yeah, but... You know, they're Fairy Tail." I mumbled. "Fairy Tail Lev. They're one of the most sought out band here in Fiore. How do you expect me to act when I meet them?" I said frustratedly then sighed.

"Don't you think I already knew that Lu?" She asked. "Yeah sure they're a popular band and all, but you should always bear this in mind, they're just regular guys before all this... uhm… fame… and they still are, Lu." She said softly, which made a lot of sense.

"You don't need to do anything. Just be yourself. You know you're amazing. And if you don't, then, I'll say it right now. You're amazing Lu!" She exclaimed which made me giggle. "So why hesitate in meeting those dorks? They're just average guys. They're the ones who should be embarrassed by their—uhhh… never mind. Bottom line is… They. Want. To. Meet. You." She stated confidently. More confidently than me who should be jumping up and down for joy right now. Why am I even hesitating? Why am I even making a big deal out of this? Is it because they're Fairy Tail? Sure they're Fairy Tail but it's just a simple meet up. Levy's right. They are just average guys.

 _Hot average guys._ I told myself.

I groaned.

What am I going to do? I don't want to be rude and decline, saying I don't want to meet up with them cause, just cause? That's just absurd. They're my favorite band as of now for god's sake. Who wouldn't want to meet them in person?

"Alright Lev." I said after minutes of contemplating and debating whether I will push through this.

"Yay! I'll tell them immediately that you said yes and how you made me beg for it." She said jokingly.

"Levyyyy…"

"Okay, okay. You know I'm only joking, right?" She said light-heartedly.

"So when and where do they want us to meet up?" I asked her.

"Don't worry they already told me the place. And about the date, I told them you'll be the one to set that up so there's no pressure on your part." I heard the excitement in her voice but I couldn't help but be mortified by what she had said.

"You what!?" I asked, completely horrified. She told them that I would be the one to decide when to meet them. Oh. My. God. Why would she do that? The last thing I wanted was for them to think that I'm a selfish, egotistic person.

"What? Why? What's wrong with that?"

"No, there's nothing wrong with that." I retorted sarcastically before sighing. I lost count as to how many times I had sighed today. Now I feel like I'm the VIP instead of them.

"There's nothing wrong with it Lu. They understand." She justified just to make me feel a bit relieved.

"You're unbelievable." I said to her exasperatedly as I rub my temple in my vain attempt to ease the ache that's been slowly taking over my head for the past few seconds.

"Luuuu… I thought we've already established the fact that they're just four average guys that wanted to meet and thank you." She stated questioningly which made me silent for awhile. I don't even want to answer her. I just want to disappear right now.

"Sooo…" She said eagerly after a few seconds of silence. "When do you wanna meet them?" I rolled my eyes as I heard the obvious excitement on her voice, her emotions surprisingly turned 180 degrees on the matter.

"Wooow, I feel like such an important person." I said to her sarcastically while still rubbing my temple.

I just heard her sigh loudly on the phone.

"Just tell me Lu." She said in exasperation.

"'kay, might as well get this over with." I breathed before I lowered my hand on my lap and then sighed. "How 'bout tomorrow lunch?" I suggested and heard her hum on the other line.

"I guess that'll work. I could close the café or just leave it to Juvia for an hour." She stated casually, but the hint of excitement in her voice was still there. "I still need to ask the guys after this call if they have any plans for tomorrow but I'm pretty sure, even if they have, they would probably cancel it just to meet up with you." She happily added.

"It's a good thing you're coming with me Lev. I don't think I can even muster enough courage to face those guys alone." I admitted defeatedly.

"Well, duhhh? As if I would let you meet them alone. I know you have the tendency to pass out as soon you lay your eyes on them. But don't worry Lu, I would be there to catch you just in case." She said teasingly which made my face heat up in embarrassment.

"As if Levy!" I shouted defensively.

"You know I was only teasing you Lu." She chuckled. "But seriously, I think we need to hang up for now. I also want to call the guys to inform them." She stated.

"Oh, alright then, I'll see you tomorrow Lev."

"Yeah, I'll see you tomorrow Lu. Byee!" She said cheerfully before hanging up, leaving me alone with my thoughts again.

I released a rather long sigh.

 _Well, Lucy, you still have time to back out. You know that, right?_ My inner voice reminded me but I dismissed it immediately with a shake of my head. I can't and I won't do that. Not to my bestfriend.

"I'm not gonna chicken out and embarrass Levy to her friends. I won't be able to forgive myself if I were to do that." I said to myself as I rose from my seat.

I shook my head for the second time and tried to clear my head again.

 _Maybe a nice shower would help me calm my nerves._ I thought to myself while I strode towards the bathroom, shredding my clothes once I was inside.

I was right. The shower did the trick and I was beginning to feel a bit more calmed as I brushed my fingers through my wet locks, massaging my scalp for a bit. My mind began drifting to the things that happened today, Fairy Tail's interview, their song, and Levy's connection to them. Despite all my mixed emotions regarding this matter, my inner fan girl self told me to just suck it all up and go meet them.

I know it was all too much to take in, but for some reason, I was starting to feel less and less agitated as the water ran down across my body. It was like a soothing therapy for me, clearing all the negative and unnecessary things that ran though my head. And now, I am, in all honesty, a little thrilled at the thought of meeting the guys of Fairy Tail.

 _I'm meeting them tomorrow._ I thought to myself as I stare at the tiled floor across my feet, a smile slowly creeping up my face.

"I'm meeting them tomorrow."

* * *

"Lev." I said to her as we walked inside a building that was surprisingly ordinary and plain. "Is this really the place?" I asked her after eyeing the place around, noticing that she had nodded towards the guard, so I did the same.

"Yes Lu. I'm sure." She replied to me without any trace of annoyance, in spite of the fact that I was bugging her all the way here. We were both really nervous, to be honest. I don't even know what she was nervous about. They're her friends, unlike me.

"They told me that we should wait at the lounge." She stated. "But I guess we're not doing that after all. Erza!" She shouted a second later that made me slightly jump and look curiously at the person she was yelling at.

There across the hall stood what I would call a very stunning woman. She was wearing a knee-high boots, a white blouse and a blue skirt which was both plain but looked immaculate on her. Her red hair that would shame the red rose fell straight past her shoulders. Her fringe slightly covered her right eye, but you could still see the depth in it.

She immediately smiled as recognition dawned on her face. She made her way towards us and we did the same, meeting her half way and I was kinda speechless and stunned when we got to her. She's even more beautiful up close. She hugged Levy for a moment before releasing her.

"Levy." She said affectionately then smiled. "I'm glad you made it. I've been waiting for you." She told her before focusing her attention to me. "Is this her?" She asked Levy, but her knowing eyes never left me.

"Yes. This is Lucy, Erza." She waved a hand at my direction. "And Lucy, this is Erza." She said waving a hand at her too.

This woman, who was called Erza, gave me a sweet smile and stretched her hands out to me.

"I'm Erza, Erza Scarlet." She said formally.

I smiled at her too and took her hands in mine to shake it.

"I'm Lucy, Lucy Heartfilia." I said to her, and I somewhat cringed when I told her my last name, slightly praying that she won't recognize it. But to my disappointment, her eyebrows shot up and her look got more intense. Gone was the smile that made her more beautiful, replaced by an intense and calculating look. And I know for a moment there that she did recognize it. But to my surprise, she didn't bring it up or even question me further. She just smiled at me again, knowingly, before letting go of my hand.

"Well, it's nice to meet you Lucy. Levy here has told me so much about you."

"She did?" I asked her dubiously while glancing at my blue-haired friend.

"Yes, of course Lu." Levy answered. "You see, Erza is Fairy Tail's manager."

My eyes widen a bit at this new information and then looked back at Erza, who was nodding at Levy's statement.

"Unfortunately." Erza stated and then chuckled darkly. "But let's not get into that."

She waved her hand in a gesture to follow her and we all started to walk through the hall, us trailing behind her.

"I was actually told to meet both of you at the lounge." She started. "Unfortunately, those guys are kinda running late today and they asked me to accommodate you for the meantime."

She opened a door then jerked her head towards it, telling us both to go inside. And as I followed Levy, I quietly eyed the room. It was actually larger than I expected. There's a coffee table that was surrounded by couches of different sizes, gadgets, instruments and all sorts of music related things were neatly placed at one corner, a fixed glass wall which you can view another room full of instruments and a door that led to it. The room and the things inside it were really impressive, but what had really gotten my attention was the gorgeous grand piano that was perched on a low platform slightly above the carpeted floor. I can feel it call out to me, begging for me to play it, but Erza's voice made me snap out of my reverie.

"I hope you don't mind staying in this room for awhile. I just need to make a few calls outside. Sit and make yourselves comfortable." She said, her right hand waving over the couches. Her voice was filled with confidence and authority that I failed to notice awhile ago. And it clearly dawned on me why she was their manager.

She gave us a nod and a smile and excused herself before walking out of the door.

"Levy." I called as I walked towards her. "Uhm…" I trailed off and looked appreciatively at the room, my eyes falling over the grand piano again. "Is this place owned by Fairy Tail?"

"Yes Lu. This is actually their studio." She stated a matter-of-factly as she plopped on one of the sofas.

"Wow." I breathed, taking the spot next to her. "I never thought that one day I would actually set foot in here."

"Can you pinch me?" I grinned at her.

"What!?" Levy laughed. "You're being ridiculous Lu."

"Just confirming whether I'm actually dreaming or not." I stated then we both laughed from the absurdity of it.

"You know—" She said but stopped midsentence when her phone suddenly rang. She just looked at the phone questioningly then back at me then shrugged before finally answering it.

"Yes?" She asked with her brows furrowed. But as soon as the person from the other line answered, those same brows suddenly shot up.

"Oh! It's—What?" She asked in disbelief, startling me when she stood up all of a sudden. "Right now?"

She turned to look at me then mouthed the words "wait for me here" while she held her hand in front of her, implying that I should just wait here. But before I could even question her actions, she was already out the door, leaving me all alone in, what she had said was Fairy Tail's studio. I didn't even bother to run after her. I just decided to do what she had told me and wait for her to come back. Actually, I let her leave because there's something I really want to try.

I stared at the door for a second. And when I was sure enough that no one was actually going to barge right in here, I sauntered deliberately towards the grand piano, letting my fingers glide through its smooth texture. It's been so long since I had actually played a piano and I know my skills might be rusty now, but I can't help but to try and test this out. So I slowly sat on the stool then carefully lifted its covers. I started to move my fingers leisurely along the keys, testing it if it's in proper condition.

 _Well, duhh? You're in their practice room, so of course all their instruments are in proper condition._ I thought to myself smugly then snorted.

I started to glide my fingers again over the keys, but this time, I was now actually playing the first part of a particular song. I was surprised that I still know how to, but it doesn't matter now. I closed my eyes, and just bathed in the music I was playing. And as I played one of my favorite songs, I couldn't stop my mind from thinking about the time when I was just a kid and still trying to learn how to play the piano.

 _Mommy! Mommy!_

My 6 year-old self pulled my mom's sleeves a couple of times, making her fingers stop and hover slightly above the keys. She turned to look at me affectionately and smiled.

 _What is it sweetheart?_

 _Why do you close your eyes when you play the piano? How will you see the keys if you close your eyes?_

My mom chuckled before lifting me to her lap.

 _You see, Lucy dear, when you really know the song and the instrument by heart, it doesn't matter whether you play it with your eyes closed or open. 'Cause this— she placed her hand over my heart—will be the one to guide you through it. Even if you mess it up or got lost, don't let it bother you. Pick up where you left off and let this—she pointed at my heart again, lightly tapping it—guide you. You'll see._

 _I don't get it._

My mom chuckled once again before resuming her playing with me on her lap, but opting for a much more childish song.

 _You will, one day._

My mind went back to the song I was currently playing, a smile slowly playing at my lips.

 _I now know what you meant mom, about my heart guiding me. You we're not just talking about the piano that time but so much more._

I was so into playing that I didn't notice that I had actually started singing. I was surprised by it but it was a pleasant surprise. I had neglected singing ever since my mother had passed away. I would just occasionally hum along to some songs but I never did sing my heart out again.

I frowned but still didn't open my eyes. I wonder what is it that had made me sing again.

My dad really hated my singing merely because it reminded him so much of my mother. Actually, he hated whatever it is that I do. Even my dream to become an author and to publish my very own book. He hated it, saying that it's just a waste of time and money. So I just chose to…

 _No._ I told myself while slightly shaking my head. _I refuse to plague my mind with this kind of memory from my dad. All I want to do now is to bathe in the happy memories of my mother._

So I let myself get lost in the music again, oblivious to the onyx eyes that were carefully and curiously watching me from across the room.


	10. Chapter 10: Each Other's Voices

A/N: Thanks again for those who took their time reading this. Last chapter, after reading the reviews, I kinda felt bad for giving you that cliffhanger. But I also kinda felt elated cause it had that impact on you guys. Honestly, it gives me a boost, when I know that you're all eager for the next update. So thank you once again for reading this first fan fiction of mine. It really means a lot. Well, anyways... Enjoy!

* * *

CHAPTER X

"Each Other's Voices"

Natsu's P.O.V:

I yawned loudly inside Jellal's car, which had earned me a few glares coming from Gajeel, who was in the front seat, and Gray, who was sitting beside me in the backseat. I imitated their annoyed looks which further irritated them. Like what the hell, man. Can't you cut this guy some slack?

"Can you just…" Gray started but decided to stop himself from saying something I think is offensive, opting to sigh instead.

Jellal's currently driving us to our studio building to meet Levy and her friend, but unfortunately, we're kinda late for this meet up despite what Erza and Levy had told us. And yes, of course it was me who had made all of us late in the first place.

"Just stop that." I heard Gray said to me. But I only gave him the most disbelieving look I could muster in my state.

"Stop what ice princess?" I asked him in a not-so-nice-manner. "Yawnin'? How can someone actually stop themselves from yawnin', huh, Ice freak? Tell me." I snapped at him.

I only saw his eye twitch once which only meant that his patience was now at its peak.

"Maybe if you had just taken some coffee, like the three of us did, or anything that would help you get rid all that sleepiness inside that lazy body of yours, you wouldn't be yawning here for every goddamn minute!" He snapped back at me.

I remembered these three guys barging in my apartment 20 minutes ago, telling me to get my ass off of the bed right that instant or else i would regret it.

"How'd you expect me to fix myself a cup of coffee when all you guys did was bark at me because we're already late? It's not my fault I didn't get enough sleep last night!" I justified, crossing my arms in front of my chest. They just literally made me shower quickly before dragging me out of my apartment. They didn't even let me have some breakfast, or lunch, guessing that it's already lunch time. Well, I guess meeting this friend of Levy was enough reason for me to let them drag my sluggish butt out here.

"Then whose fault was it!? Ours!?" He retorted sarcastically. But Jellal suddenly spoke before I can even retaliate verbally to Gray.

"Guys, cut that out." He ordered us, his eyes searching ours through the rear-view mirror. It was always his job to end fights like this whenever Ezra's not around. "I need someone to contact Erza. Inform her that we'll be there any moment now." He added while handing us his phone with his right hand.

"What?!" The three of us simultaneously asked him in disbelief. Even Gajeel, who appeared to be uninterested a second ago, whipped his head towards Jellal in order to protest.

Nobody wants to talk to Erza now that she's pissed at us for being late. We all know Jellal's the only one who can handle her at times like this.

Jellal lightly shook his head then started to dial Erza's number before handing it over to Gray, who grimly took it and placed it over his ear.

"The line's busy. Maybe she's currently talking to someone." He sighed after a few seconds before lowering the phone, relief flooding his face. "Why don't we just call Levy?" He suggested optimistically after a second, ignoring Gajeel's grunts of disapproval.

Jellal sighed but nodded his approval on calling Levy instead of Erza.

"We just need to inform either one of them." He told Gray, his eyes still fixed on the road. But Gray was already pressing Levy's number. Apparently he had it memorized.

Gajeel and I only stared at him as he brought the phone to his left ear and waited a few seconds for Levy to answer it.

"Levy? Levy its Gray. I'm just using Jellal's phone right now." I heard him say to her while I tried to stifle another yawn. "We just wanna inform you that we're almost—he looked outside—oh nevermind, we're already here." He stated casually which made me want look outside too. I rubbed the sleep from my eyes then tried to glance outside.

He's right, we're already here. We didn't even notice.

I immediately grabbed my sling bag and hopped outside once Jellal had properly parked his car. I took a deep breath and stretched my arms. I saw the guys had already climbed out of the car too, Gray handing Jellal's phone back to him while Gajeel also stretched his arms above his head.

We all casually walked inside the building and the first thing we saw was a blue-haired girl sitting alone on one of the couches in the lounge, fumbling with her phone.

"Levy!" I called her then saw her head perked up at the sound of her name.

"Guys!" She called out, waving a hand while walking towards us.

I saw Gajeel visibly tensed beside me when she got to us. And I inwardly smirked at him for his ridiculous reaction. Levy's eyes glanced at each one of us, her smile never faltering.

"Why are you sitting all by yourself? Where's Erza?"

Her eyes focused on Jellal who asked her.

"She left us awhile ago. She said she needed to make some calls." She answered sheepishly.

"Us?" I asked her, tilting my head to the side. "Oh, you mean your friend. Where is she? I don't see her anywhere." My eyes searched around us, not seeing the friend which she spoke of.

"Uhm, I left her in your practice room. If that's okay." She informed us while she fumbled her phone again. "I just wanna talk to all of you guys first."

My eyebrows shot up as well as the other guy's. Why would Levy want to talk to us before we meet this friend of hers? Is there something wrong?

"Well, you see…" She started uneasily, looking down and not meeting any of our gazes. "She's very worked up about this, you know, meeting all of you. And I just want to tell you guys to go easy on her. I know all of you can be a bit…" She stopped mid-sentence, her concern for her friend clearly written on her face, but we already got her message and all of our gazes soften at her.

She gasped when I slung my left arm around her shoulders. She looked up at me timidly but I just smiled down at her.

"Don't worry Lev." I told her positively. "We all know we're rough around the edges but we'd never do anything that would make her regret meetin' us in person." I said to her cheerfully, ignoring a certain bassist that's been glaring daggers at me the minute I slung my arms around a certain blue-haired girl.

She breathed out a sigh of relief and visibly relaxed upon hearing those words.

"Just don't scare her with all your antics, alright?" She said then laughed heartily at us.

"We'll try shrimp." Gajeel finally spoke with a smirk on his studded face, ruffling Levy's hair affectionately with his right hand and shoving my face roughly with his left hand which caught me off-guard, making me stumble away from her.

"Don't worry Lev. Everything will be fine." I heard Gray said to her just as I managed to pull myself upright after staggering for a moment.

"That's right. You don't need to worry about anything Levy. I'll make sure these guys will behave so they don't embarrass themselves in front of your friend." Jellal assured her.

"Thanks guys." She said gratefully, smiling at every one of us while fixing her hair.

"Oh? What's this?" Said another voice from across the hall.

We all tensed up before hesitantly turning to look at the direction of the voice. Well, except for Levy, who was now smiling and waving at that direction.

"How nice of you to show up this late." Said our red-haired manager sarcastically with a menacing smile. She slowly sauntered towards us, oblivious to the way we winced at her words a second ago. My breath caught up in my throat and I flinched when her eyes landed on me. She already knew that I was the main reason we arrived late. And I prepared myself both mentally and physically for her upcoming death blow.

But to our surprise, Jellal made an effort to meet her seething form, slinging an arm over her before she can even get to us.

"Don't be like that Erza. We didn't mean to be late" He cooed while rubbing his hand over her tensed shoulder.

"I just don't want our guest to have wrong impressions about this band and the people surrounding it. Not arriving at the said time is something I wouldn't tolerate. You know that." She said sternly but Jellal didn't buckle.

"We're here now, right?" He said, smiling down at her. "There's no point in getting yourself worked up at the smallest things."

"Well, I guess I could let It go for now." She contemplated after a moment.

"But just this once. Alright?" She said, now smiling at him.

Jellal only responded her with a smile.

It's still a mystery to us how these two fell in love with each other. But either way, nobody's blood was spilled today. Thanks to Jellal's magic touch. We can now all breathe a sigh of relief.

"Levy?" Erza said after a moment while she stepped away from Jellal. Her focus was now directly at Levy. "Where's Lucy?" She asked.

"Oh nevermind." Erza said instantly, not bothering to wait for Levy's answer. She looked at each one of us guys again intently before speaking.

"Before you all go and meet Lucy…" She said authoritatively. "I just want to—"

 _Oh. Here we go again._ I thought to myself as I rolled my eyes, thankful that she didn't see me.

I don't wanna hear Erza's little pep talk or lecture so I ducked and moved away from her knowing eyes, and then slowly inched my way towards our practice room without anyone noticing me. I just want some peace and quiet right now before I get to meet Levy's friend, even though I would probably get an earful after this little stunt of mine, I just wanted to take my chances.

I slowly and quietly opened the door to our practice room, thankful that no one had actually noticed me.

The first thing I noticed upon entering was the sound of the piano that was resonating in every corner of the room. The room was sound proof. You won't hear anything outside unless you put an ear towards the door, so I was kinda shocked when I entered.

Second was the blonde that was playing the grand piano. I was actually quite surprised to see a girl inside our practice room, playing one of our instruments. It made me stop in my tracks and frown for a moment. I asked myself what was a girl like her doing in our practice room. This was just so bizarre. She didn't even notice my presence cause she's too absorbed in playing the piano.

I narrowed my eyes and took a good look at her. She was facing sideways, so I can only see half of her face. But from what I can see from here is that she's really into her playing. Her brows were furrowed and her eyes were closed which were signs that she's really concentrating. Her long blonde hair that was tied up to a side pony tail gently swayed along with her body when she moved. I could see her delicate fingers softly but confidently glide though the keys like its second nature to her. It was almost hypnotizing to watch this unknown girl play.

And that's when it hit me.

This girl was Levy's friend.

It had slipped my mind. Levy actually told us awhile ago that she left her friend back here. I was just too dumb to remember. I shook my head slightly and mentally slapped my face for being such an idiot.

I actually wanted to formally introduce myself to her right this instant but it's a shame to distract her in her state now, so I just decided to wait for a moment, casually leaning the left side of my body against the now closed door and just continued to watch her, a smile slowly creeping over my face.

This was the girl who wrote on my notebook. This was the girl who unintentionally helped me in making one of my songs. Levy told us she was a writer but didn't say that she's also a musician. Does Levy even know her friend could play like this? I doubt it.

I was currently lost in my own thoughts when I heard a soft and melodic voice accompany the piano's sound. At first it was just so soft that you could even hardly hear it above the sound of the piano. But as the sound went on, it became more and more distinct. It made me focus all my attention to her again. I was sure that her lips, which were set in a grim line a moment ago, were now moving ever so slightly.

She was singing.

It was a bit strained but sweet nonetheless. It made my smile grew wider.

"—I know now, you're my only hope."

Now that she had actually sung some of the lyrics out, I now recognize the song she'd been playing keenly. It was rather an old song for our generation, but even so, it was still a pretty good song.

"Sing to me the song of the stars" I heard her sing clearly but softly after a moment of focusing only on playing the piano, a soft smile slowly grazing her lips.

"Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again."

She paused for a second as she gave herself to her playing once again, tilting her head from side to side, her blissful smile never leaving her face.

"When it feels like my dreams are so far."

"Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again."

 _She's actually pretty good._ I said to myself as I watch her get herself lost in her own music, mentally resisting the urge to join her and unintentionally ruin her moment.

But after a moment of hesitation, I slowly inched myself towards her, careful on not making any noise.

I stopped on my tracks when I didn't hear her sing the next part and her playing slightly faltered. I noticed her lips were set again in grim line. My brows furrowed upon seeing the expression on her face and it made me wonder what was currently on her mind. But that expression vanished just as quickly as it had appeared on her face.

Fortunately her eyes remained closed through all that. So I strode purposefully towards her again when I heard her resume her playing once more.

"So I lay my head back down."

I heard her begin again. But I noticed a hint of sadness on her voice now which made me want to reach out and comfort her. I don't even know why.

"And I lift my hands and pray…"

"To be only yours."

"I pray to be only yours."

"I know now you're my only hope."

She still hasn't noticed my presence even though I was now only a few feet away from her. But just as my hand was about to reach out to her, her eyes suddenly opened wide, revealing a lovely set of big, brown orbs which I would gladly lose myself into.

* * *

Lucy's POV:

I decided to open my eyes just as I was about to sing the next part. I knew I was alone in this room, and I haven't heard anyone come through the door when I was playing, so imagine my shock when I saw a flash of pink in my peripheral vision.

I abruptly ceased the movement of my hands, the sounds of the keys softly hanging in the air, as I turned to look at…

 _Oh my god!_

I gasped loudly as I suddenly stood up, making the stool I was sitting on fall behind me in a loud thud. The keys made a series of indefinite noise as my hand tried to balance my body as I stumbled, my eyes never leaving this person whose presence I failed to notice. I could feel my heart pound rapidly inside my chest now. This is just so embarrassing. So embarrassing that I think I'm gonna faint.

It's Natsu.

It's Natsu Dragneel.

He's now standing gloriously in front of me. He's wearing a simple black shirt with a small dragon logo at the upper right. His scaly white scarf that was present when I first saw him, hung loosely around his neck. While his brown cargo pants has its ends tucked inside his black boots. His look was simple and yet looked impeccable on him.

But what had really caught me off guard was the face splitting grin he now wore over his face. It was the brightest and cheekiest grin I have ever seen in my entire human existence. And it made me want to cower more in embarrassment at being caught. This can't be happening. I don't want our first formal meeting to be like this.

"I… I..." I stuttered as I took a step back, looking anywhere but him. "I'm so sorry!" I shouted as I tightly shut my eyes and bowed my head along with my upper body in front of him. I must look ridiculous to him right now. I can only imagine his face. I'm sure he's probably trying his hardest just to stifle his laugh.

But I was really surprised with what I saw when I finally had the courage to slowly lift my head and glance at him after a few seconds of self-deprecating. He was still wearing that bright smile of his while his eyes looked back at me kindly. And I can't help but to marvel in the depth of those onyx eyes. It seriously and ridiculously made my knees weak just by looking at it.

But before I could embarrass myself even more, he suddenly gave a hearty laugh just as he went on his knees to reach for the now upside-down stool before placing it properly.

"No worries." He assured while he looked up at me, his breathtaking smile making its appearance on his lips again. "Besides, I'm the one who needs to apologize for being such a creep. I'm sorry. I'm pretty sure I startled ya." He said as he stood up then dusted his pants.

"No." I disagreed, vigorously shaking my head. "I was the one who used your piano without permission. I'm very sorry." I said to him as I bowed again.

"Stop bowin' ya weirdo." He taunted while he barked another laugh at me, straightening my body in response.

He extended his right hand towards me when his laughter had finally died.

"The name's Natsu by the way." He grinned. "Natsu Dragneel."

"I know." I mumbled inaudibly as I continued to stare at his outstretched hand. "Uhm. I mean, nice to meet you." I told him as I shook my head lightly, trying to clear my thoughts.

"My name's Lucy." I said as I took his hand shyly, briefly shaking it before stepping away from him. "I just want to apologize again for using your piano."

He only laughed at me again while he sat down and made himself comfortable on the now properly placed piano stool. He scooted at the very edge of it then patted the space next to him.

"Well, 'bout that. I would only forgive ya if ya gonna play that song again." He said, giving me his bright and carefree smile again. But I only looked at him incredulously, which earned me another bark of laughter from him.

"You're such a weirdo Luigi." He stated while still laughing at me. I didn't even bother correcting him on my name.

"You could just resume where you left off. I don't really mind. I just really want to hear ya play that song again."

He patted the space left on the stool again before grinning at me, silently inviting me to sit with him.

I hesitated for awhile, contemplating whether I should accept his offer or not. But after seeing that smile of his again, I decided that it wouldn't hurt to play that song for him. After all, this piano was theirs and he requested me to play for him. Who am I to decline?

So I slowly sat on the same stool, careful not to sit too close beside him. And I guess he did notice my stiffness cause he scooted further away from me, giving me enough space to play comfortably.

I breathed out a loud sigh before placing my hands over the keys and my foot over the pedals. I looked at his grinning face for the last time before closing my eyes. I remembered I was suppose to play the bridge of the song, so I suddenly glided my fingers over the keys and pushed the pedals that made the sound much louder. I thought I was doing great—I thought it was going great—, but a sudden tap on my arm abruptly made me stop from playing.

I opened my eyes and looked at Natsu once again, confused to why he suddenly tapped me.

"Why aren't you singing?" He asked with his brows furrowed. His dark eyes searched mine for an answer and I resisted the urge to squirm beneath his searching gaze. He noticed my discomfort, so he slowly but hesitantly peeled his eyes away from me, finding the piano keys much more interesting now.

"I didn't mean for the question to sound so demanding." He said while rubbing the back of his head. "I'm sorry."

 _Oohhh... I know this habit of his. He only does this thing whenever he's embarrassed or shy. It's so cute seeing it in person._

The thought made me giggle a bit and I tried hiding it through a cough, but he didn't buy it.

"What's so funny?" He asked, raising a pink eyebrow at me.

"Nothing." I told him. "Uhm. You know, this is actually really embarrassing for me. Is it okay if I just don't sing at all?"

 _Well, the truth is, I just don't know whether I will be able to sing in front of this guy. I'm still not that comfortable singing in front of anybody._

"Oh." He said lamely, not pushing it any further. "That's okay. Just try playing that part again." He smiled.

I don't know what he's currently thinking but I obliged, closing my eyes and letting my hands glide through the keys again. I thought he was satisfied now just by listening to the sound of the piano but I was wrong.

As soon as I hit the right keys to the bridge, he suddenly began singing in a low, low voice which made me open my eyes and glance sideways at him.

"I give you my destiny." He sang deeply with a smile on his face.

He's eyes were now closed and his head was tilted back. His left hand was behind us, gripping the back of the stool we're currently sitting at, while his right hand was placed neatly on his lap. I honestly didn't expect him to sing the part. It left me in a state of shock and I almost messed up my playing. But fortunately, I regained my composure before I could even humiliate myself in front of this guy.

"I'm giving you all of me."

I quickly looked away from him as he continued to sing the lines out, feeling a little bit flushed from all this proximity. His voice was honestly giving me a lot goosebumps but I welcomed it with open arms. I really can't help it tho, with the source of this wonderful voice only inches away from me. I could just only appreciate and marvel at it while I can.

"I want your symphony singing in all that I am." He sang out before I heard him quickly sucked a deep breath, preparing himself for the next line.

I turned to look at him again just as he was about to sing the next part. His head was still tilted back and his eyes were still closed but I could see clearly the way his lips curled up into a smile.

"At the top of my lungs." He started, his right hand making a series of unidentified hand signs just to express his emotions.

"I'm giving it back." He bellowed with so much passion that made my breath caught up in my throat.

I could see the blissful expression on his face while he sang, like he's currently being enthralled by the music itself. The sight was something to behold. And there's just something in it that made me want to join him in singing. So I didn't think of anything else and just gave in to my urges, all the wariness and nervousness leaving me instantly.

I looked at the keys I was playing before joining him in singing the next line.

"So I lay my head back down." We both sang, our voices blending through it. And I could see in the corner of my eye the way he straightened his body just to look at me. He's clearly taken aback by my sudden outburst, but I just continued to sing while I played.

"And I lift my hands and pray…"

"To be only yours. I pray…" He now joined me in singing the line which made me turn to look at him and smile. He too was smiling so wide now, like a kid that had just gotten the biggest present ever.

"To be only yours. I pray…" This time he decided to let me sing the part on my own, all the while holding my gaze with his intense, onyx ones. It surely made all the air leave my lungs. I can just imagine my pathetic face right now. But he just grinned at me before singing the next line.

"To be only yours. I know now, you're my only hope."

His soft yet powerful voice resonated across the room along with the piano, which was almost magical. But what had really left me breathless was his still intense gaze that held mine all throughout that part of the song, like he had actually sung the last part just for me.

 _You're my only hope._

It made me flush under his passionate gaze and I quickly averted my eyes away from him before he could even see the blush that was slowly creeping up my face.

I just focused on my fingers that glided along the keys as the song slowly comes to an end. I let the last note hung softly in the air as I turned to look again at the guy who was sitting beside me.

His eyes were closed now and his head was tilted back again, like he was really cherishing the moment.

I saw a smile play on his lips and I can't help but to smile too, feeling the high from it all slowly crash down on me. It was amazing. This was amazing. He was amazing. I wanted to pinch myself just to check if these were all real. It really seems like a dream to me.

And like all dreams, they eventually end.

The sound of applause and snickering made us both snap our heads towards the noise, seeing his bandmates, Levy and Erza, were now gathered at the door, all their eyes shone with mirth and amusement.

* * *

A/N: **The song was called Only hope. It was suggested by Arethelya and I actually thought that it would really go well with this chapter. There's actually two versions of it. One was sung by Mandy Moore(which where I based Lucy's part) and the other one was sung by Switchfoot(which I based Natsu's). I just retained the lyrics of Mandy Moore's version instead of Switchfoot's version. There's really not much difference between the two, just a single word.

**And guys i just want to inform you that I won't be able to update the story next week because of some personal agendas. This chapter was supposed to be divided into two chapters, but I decided to just combine the two for more content. I hope it lived up to your expectation on Lucy and Natsu's first meeting.

**I still don't own any of content from Fairy Tail. All the credit goes to the great Hiro Mashima.


	11. Chapter 11: Fairy Tail

CHAPTER XI

"Fairy Tail"

Lucy's POV:

My eyes widen and a horrified gasp escaped my lips when I saw the number of people gathered at the door.

His bandmates, their manager Erza, and of course, Levy were now standing there, applauding, smirking and looking so smug like they had just witness something really amusing. Well, except for Levy who only had a slight surprised look on her face, but still, she was happily applauding which caused my cheeks to burn from embarrassment.

 _Why—of all time—did they choose to appear now?_ I thought exasperatedly as I try to hide my flushed face behind my hands in vain, hoping that no one had actually seen it.

Not that I'm not pleased to see the rest of the band. It's just that, they'd caught us in a really, really awkward way. And I can't help but to be embarrassed. I could only pray for the ground to open up and just swallow me whole this instant.

 _I bet Levy wouldn't even let this go._ I thought to myself while suppressing a frustrated groan.

A few seconds of self loathing had passed before I finally— _finally_ —had the courage to lift my head above my hands to peek at the guy sitting beside me. But my eyes instantly went wide, and another gasped escaped my lips, seeing that he's now angled towards me with his head bent low behind his right hand, also trying his best to hide his reddened face.

And he's so close…

So devastatingly close…

I could almost feel the heat radiating off his body.

I tried my best not to be affected by the proximity of the pink-haired guy in front of me, struggling fruitlessly to distract my thoughts away from him. But it's impossible. Not with him facing me like this. Not with heart hammering inside my chest like there's no tomorrow. Not when I'm sitting casually beside the vocalist of one of the most sought out band of Fiore like we're actually friends or something.

 _And we sang together, for crying out loud._ I thought hysterically as I cupped both of my cheeks.

 _I really just sang with Natsu Dragneel. THE Natsu Dragneel._

I was currently having a moment with my thoughts when I noticed his hand began to lower, revealing a pair of intense, dark orbs which stared directly back at me.

I started to panic, like _oh-my-god-he-just-saw-me-staring-at-him-I-don't-know-what-to-do-now_ kind of panic. Pathetic? Yes. But can you blame me?

 _He must be thinking how much of a creep I am._ I thought frantically to myself as I looked away from his piercing eyes, all the possible negative thoughts slowly consuming me.

I cringed deep inside, mentally scolding myself of how stupid I was. But when I glanced at him again, the look in his eyes told me otherwise.

It made my heart stop and beat faster all at the same time.

And soon, I felt my hands start to slide down my cheeks. Down and down until they only went limp on my lap.

I blinked once. Twice.

He was still staring at me. Those dark orbs of his piercing into mine like they were searching for something.

 _Girl, you should really look away now._ I can almost hear myself scold, well, myself.

But I still maintained my gaze on him in spite of that and the alarming bells that were sounding in my head.

And as usual, I ignored it as I found myself hypnotized by the way his eyes bore into mine; holding me captive, almost like pleading for me not to look away from him…

Away from his eyes…

Away from his beautiful, expressive eyes…

I only notice now how truly gorgeous they were, with little hints of green in them. And the longer I look at them, the more amaze I get. I've never seen such intense and expressive eyes before. It felt like they were dragging me, pulling me towards him like some kind of magnet, leaving me no choice but to submit.

There's just something about those mischievous eyes of his that screamed with so much confidence, appreciation, trust, hope and…

Something else…

Something stronger…

Something deeper…

Something… Beautiful…

"Erm…" Someone cleared their throat, making us both simultaneously blinked at one another, clearly recovering our composures from our "little moment".

He awkwardly peeled his eyes away from me before hastily getting up to his feet and stomping towards his bandmates with a pissed expression, leaving me a little dumbfounded in my seat.

 _Uhhh…?_

 _What just happened?_

"Ya'll just have to ruin the moment." Natsu said sarcastically while flailing his arms exasperatedly at them. "We were just—Hey! Stop smirking, you icefreak!" He pointed a finger at the raven haired guy, who I assumed was Gray Fullbuster, while the others only smiled knowingly at him as they shook their heads.

Gone was the friendly Natsu, only to be replaced by an irritated one.

"You're not the boss of me flamebrain." The raven haired guy snorted as he threw at him, from what I could see, a sling bag, which Natsu caught perfectly in his hands. And despite what Natsu had said to the dark-haired guy, the smirk never left his face, making Natsu more agitated.

He stomped his right foot in front of him and glared at the other guy as he balled his fists in his sides in a fighting stance.

"What did ya say stripper!? Wanna go!?" He bellowed while butting heads with his bandmate, and I noticed how he threw his sling bag with perfect ease towards the couches, landing on the nearest end, just missing it barely.

I glanced at the two again and saw that they were still at it.

I frowned.

 _I wonder what's the deal with the weird nicknames. Flamebrain? Icefreak? Stripper? It doesn't make any sense to me. Well, honestly, everything they're currently saying doesn't make any sense to me at all._

I took a mental note to ask Levy about it later.

"Yeah I wanna go! What cha' gonna do about it!?" I heard Gray shouted back, riling Natsu up even more.

And I gasped seeing how Natsu's face turned from a somewhat pissed expression to a challenged one after hearing Gray's provoking words. His whole demeanor somehow went menacing for a second there.

I was starting to have second thoughts if this Natsu I am seeing right now—who was quick to provoke and easily riled up—was really the same Natsu I sang with a moment ago. He was so gentle and kind to me that it's hard for me to believe this was also a side of him.

 _Are they even always like this?_

I was really worried if they're really going to start fighting here. But my worrying was for all naught when a seething Erza banged a fist over their heads, saying what an embarrassment the two of them are, making the said two stop and rub the swell on their heads as they start to lower themselves on the floor. I flinched, knowing that it surely hurt a lot, but I'm relieved that those two had sobered up upon Erza's demand. They even muttered an apology after that. Well, more like grumbled. But either way, they were still stopped, thanks to Erza. She really is a force to be reckoned with. No wonder she's their manager.

There had been a few reports here and there about some of the band members being easily provoked, but those had never been proved. I was really beginning to think now that those rumors were actually true.

"Luuuu…" I heard somebody say in a sing song voice which broke me out of my trance. I didn't even need to look to know whose voice was it. I would recognize Levy's voice anywhere.

I was so caught up in my own thoughts that I didn't notice her approach me. She was now sporting a wide smile over her face which only meant no good in my opinion. I only looked at her coyly while I got off the stool, carefully setting the cover of the piano back in its place.

I eventually sauntered towards her as I guiltily rubbed my right hand over my left arm.

"Lev I—" I started but she cut me off.

"I didn't know you could sing like that." She whispered in disbelief as she cupped her hand on the side of her mouth.

I only looked at her remorsefully and apologize.

"Sorry Lev… I just…"I trailed off before sighing.

"Truth is, I made myself forget about singing a long time ago." I told her almost inaudibly, sadness deeply etched in my voice. "You know… After my mother…"

I saw the remorse reflect in her eyes after hearing my words. And I could see the understanding and unspoken apology that goes along with it.

She doesn't have to say anything for me to understand what she's thinking now. I know she already knew what my words really meant.

She sighed then looked around us, only stopping at something a second later.

"Well, I bet you found another reason to sing now." She said thoughtfully and smiled, her eyes still fixated on something.

I followed her gaze and saw that she was rather looking at someone, not something.

And that someone is Natsu. Natsu who I noticed was still seated on the floor with Gray, still rubbing the top of their heads simultaneously.

I looked away.

"Wha—? What are you saying Lev?" I asked flabbergasted. I can feel a little heat creeping up my face.

"I'm talking about Natsu, Lu." She giggled, saying his name like it was the obvious thing ever.

I only gaped at her.

"We were somehow surprised when we saw both of you here and just hitting it off." She added and giggled again. "I'm glad you didn't freak out on him. Not to mention you didn't faint in the presence of the famous Salamander of Fairy Tail." She teased, a playful smile grazing her lips.

My expression slowly turned from being dumbstruck to being mortified in a matter of seconds, my cheeks burning up again.

"Levyyyyy! Shhhhhhh!" I scolded her in a hushed voice, holding a finger over my lips while my eyes scanned the room. "Someone might hear you. I already embarrassed myself so much today. So please."

"What?" She asked me innocently. "You're embarrassed? At them?" She deliberately said in a loud voice for them to hear, leaving me in a bewildered state.

And soon enough, five pairs of eyes started staring at us, especially on me and I mentally resisted the urge to face-palm myself.

 _Ughhh… This is so humiliating._

"I hate you." I said through clenched teeth when I looked at her again, but she only smiled at me that innocent smile of hers which only made me glower at her even more.

"Lucy." I heard Erza called and I flinched.

I unintentionally bit my lower lip then slowly turned to look at her.

"U-uhm, Y-yes?" I stammered, seeing that she was now walking towards me.

She clasped my left shoulder with her right hand before smiling at me apologetically.

"We're sorry if we made you uncomfortable, especially those two." She apologized as she jerked her head in the direction of Natsu and Gray who were still seated on the floor, now slightly arguing.

"No. No." I quickly disagreed while shaking my head vigorously along with my hands in front of me. "Please don't mind me. I'm just a little…" I trailed off then sighed. "I'm just a little overwhelmed. That's all." I added almost inaudibly.

"Don't be." Erza said before smiling kindly at me. She tilted her head in my direction then playfully whispered, "Cause, honestly, those guys are just a bunch of dorks." which made me giggle a bit, remembering my conversation with Levy last night.

"Uhhh. We can hear ya, ya know." Natsu said with a timid expression just as he stood up the same time as Gray who was still rubbing the top of his head. But Erza only chuckled at him before removing her hand on my shoulder. She jerked her thumb over her shoulder to point the guys who're now standing awkwardly near the now closed door before motioning us to follow her.

"Come now. I'll introduce you to them."

I glanced nervously back at Levy who offered a reassuring smile back at me. I managed to breath out a rather long sigh to ease some of my nerves then went to follow Erza.

 _Well, I guess this is it. I'm going to meet the rest of the band now._ I thought as I mentally pat myself at the back. _I just hope this goes well for me._

"First of all…" Erza started. "I would like you to meet Fairy Tail's lead guitarist." She moved beside the blue-haired man then placed her right hand over his left shoulder before smiling affectionately at him. I noticed the way their eyes glow with so much affection towards one another. And I can't help but wonder if there's something going on between them. There had to be something, right? I mean, there had been a few rumors here and there about these guys' status. But then again, they never did deny or confirm anything regarding that matter.

 _Maybe, just maybe, some of them were just hiding it for the sake of their privacy. Hmm. I wonder._

"Lucy." I heard Erza say. "This is Jellal." She proudly stated then smiled at me briefly before glancing at the blue-haired man again.

It's a good thing I managed to restrain myself from saying any unnecessary things, like how the introductions of the band members were not really necessary at all because I already knew each and every one of them. But I knew very well that this was just common courtesy between the two parties, so might as well go with it.

I timidly looked at the man, who was Jellal Fernandez. And the first thing my eyes focused at was the reddish, almost maroon colored, tribal-like tattoo on his right eye or rather the right side of his face. It starts from the right side of his forehead then goes straight down his right eye and stops just below his right cheek. I didn't even notice I was staring until Jellal took a step and extended his hand towards me.

"It's nice to finally meet you Ms. Lucy." He said in a gentle voice before smiling at me knowingly.

I smiled back at him then took his hand in mine, lightly shaking it. I'm already liking his cool and calm demeanor.

"Likewise." I said to him while looking straight into his eyes. "And please, just call me Lucy." I added. And I was really proud of myself for not buckling in his gaze, surprised by the new found confidence that suddenly coursed through me.

"Alright, Lucy." He said, testing my name, that smile of his never leaving his face. "You know, we've been wanting to meet you ever since we saw those lyrics on Natsu's Notebook."

I instantly froze, the color on my face completely drained upon the mention of Natsu's notebook, all the confidence inside me suddenly vanished.

 _Natsu's Notebook._

It dawned on me that I never got the chance to apologize to him for writing in his notebook, even though we already talked to each other awhile ago.

 _God… How could I forget such a thing? Maybe he's thinking now what kind of person am I for forgetting what I did._ I negatively thought to myself.

 _Can this day be any more embarrassing? I didn't get the memo that today was actually "Embarrass-Lucy-in-any-way Day"._

And I wasn't just talking about any other Lucy out there. I was literally talking about myself.

 _Maybe if I—._

I was pulled out of my trance by a booming laugh, making me gasp and jump out of Jellal's grasp which I didn't know I was still holding.

"Ya' broke her Jellal." The rough voice said before another of his booming laugh echoed across the room.

I looked beside me and saw Gajeel Redfox towering over me. His tall and muscular frame seemed to be more intimidating now that he was actually in front of me.

 _And whoa, he has red eyes._

He was now sporting a smirk over his studded face. His long black hair, which was usually sprawled across his back, was now tied to a low pony tail by his bandana which was also usually tied to his forehead. It made all the piercings on his face much more visible now. And it somehow shocked me after seeing it now in person just how many piercings this guy has. He even has a few in both of his arms and some unusual jagged scars too.

 _He really has a lot of them._ I told myself inwardly, trying not to cringe when I tried to imagine how those piercings were done. More importantly, how he got those painful looking scars.

And I was staring again.

"I'm sorry Lucy. Did I say something wrong?" I heard Jellal ask in a careful tone, which made me turn to look at him, only seeing a rueful expression on his face. He was now looking at me and someone behind me in turns.

I immediately regretted the way I froze on him awhile ago. I didn't exactly respond on what he had said and maybe that made him feel a little bit troubled.

"No. Don't worry." I assured him as I waved my hands in front of me and shook my head. "Uhm, I just got a little dazed."

I wasn't even aware that I was already retreating away from them. I only noticed my actions when I bumped someone in the process. I looked back and saw Levy smiling that assuring smile of hers again which helped me lighten up a little.

 _Oh, so it was Levy he was looking at._

"Are you sure I didn't offe—" Jellal said but Gajeel had cut him off.

"Gi-hee. Poor girl looked like a bunny that's been caught by the headlights." He stated in a teasing manner after laughing his "gi-hee" laugh.

I saw Levy's smile being instantly replaced by a scowl upon hearing Gajeel's words. She turned her attention to him before bravely speaking in an even tone.

"Shut up, Gajeel." She reprimanded while glaring at him. "And don't you mean a deer?" She added while placing both of her hands on her hips, which had made the large man a stuttering mess.

I could only stare at her in awe.

 _Wow. She could do that to him?_ I thought to myself, having a new level of respect now for Levy. _It seems like not everything is all about height._

"Yeah, shut up lug nuts." I heard someone say teasingly and I whipped my head just in time to see Natsu flash a smirk, his playful side making its appearance once again.

"Y'er the one who needs to shut up Salamander!" Gajeel retorted as he pointed a finger at him.

"Why don't cha' make me bolts-for-brains?" Natsu challenged him. And I could see the other man's eye twitch up in annoyance.

 _Oh my god. Not this again._

"Both of you cease that bickering this instant!" Erza suddenly yelled. And the two guys who were about to fight seemed to be intimidated that they decided to stop it for their own sake, which only left those two grumbling to themselves. I think that they know full well that they would really get some if they didn't stop that instant.

I also noticed Jellal stiffened beside her, but he preferred to console her by rubbing a hand over her shoulder instead of giving in to her threatening ways. Even I could feel myself hold my breath that moment, afraid that I might do something stupid and be the center of Erza's wrath.

Erza is very pleasant but could also be really frightening when she needed to be. Good thing this band has her. Someone should really put a foot down when it comes to these guys.

I heard her sigh momentarily before stepping beside the towering man.

"And this here is Gajeel Redfox." Gesturing at the man before nudging him as if telling him that that was his cue for introducing himself before turning around and joining Jellal who I didn't realize was now standing a few feet away from us. And I found myself resisting again the urge to tell them that the introductions were not really necessary.

He was still grumbling when he turned to face me, but someone's cough made him stop and cleared his throat once before stretching his hand towards me.

"Name's Gajeel." He smirked. "Nice meetin' yah bunny girl."

 _Oh, so I'm bunny girl now. Do these guys really have a thing over weird nicknames?_ I thought as I awkwardly shook his large hand.

"Uhm, it's nice to meet you too. My name's Lucy." I told him, clearly emphasizing my name while I had the chance.

He withdrew his hand away from me before running it on top of his pony-tailed hair.

"So…" He started as he took a step back. "Y'er the one who messed up Salamander's notebook. Yah sure did a good job bunny girl." He teased, laughing his 'gi-hee' laugh once again, but Levy came to my rescue immediately, slapping his chest with the back of her small hand while she glared at him. And me? I just stood there stupefied.

"Gajeel!" She nearly shouted, that scowl never leaving her face.

"What, Shrimp? Ya know I was just messin' with her." He smirked at her, but Levy only glared at him even more.

 _Wow this is getting a little awkward._ I thought to myself as I stepped a few feet away from those two. _And what is up with his animal references?_ _Natsu's_ _salamander, I'm bunny girl, and now Levy's shrimp._

 _Maybe, if they don't stop their bickering right now, the next thing would be Erza the raging bull, knowing how she dislikes it when people squabbled within her presence._

"Ya don't need to worry about those two love birds." A deep voice said casually beside me. And I suddenly sucked a breath and stiffened, knowing full well the person it belonged to.

I could still hear Levy and Gajeel arguing over unimportant things on the background, but their voices suddenly felt distant as I chose to place my attention to the person next to me.

I didn't even know why but before I could even turn to look at him, I was already breathing out his name through my lips.

"Natsu."

A soft chuckle suddenly escaped from the person beside me, and it sounded close. Really close.

"Yeah. That's me, Luce." He breathed out softly after, which only made my heart beat a lot more times faster than it should be.

 _Did he just…_

I mentally slapped myself just to keep myself in check.

 _Keep it together Lucy…_ I told myself over and over again.

I saw him grinned and cocked his head to one side when I finally turned to fully face him. And it made me a little flush after noticing just how awfully close he is to me now.

"Ehem." Someone cleared their throat again for the second time.

We suddenly whipped both our heads and saw a smug looking Gray Fullbuster.

I saw Natsu's grinning face turned into a scowl and then grumbled to himself again when he saw his bandmate standing a few feet beside him.

"You're actually giving a girl some of your attention." The guy said to him in disbelief but still with a smug face. "Somebody please check his temperature."

And I noticed how Natsu's face suddenly turned the same shade as his hair.

"S-shut up Icefreak! Nobody asked for y'er opinion." He stuttered while stepping a few feet away from me, giving me a little more personal space. But Gray only snickered at him before giving me his attention.

"Gray Fullbuster." He introduced as he offered his hand to me. I gratefully took it then smiled at this raven haired guy.

"Lucy." I said to him, hoping he would let go of me without asking for my last name.

"Yeah we know." He smiled and I visibly breathed out a sigh of relief. "Don't know why we bothered with introductions though. We already know you and you obviously know us too already." He playfully scoffed before letting go of my hand.

I nodded.

 _Finally, someone pointed it out._

I saw him smirk then jerked his head at Natsu who was now uncomfortably shuffling his feet on the carpeted floor while mumbling something to himself.

"Flamebrain over there won't even shut up about you, even though he's never met you and only knew your name that time. Pshhh." He shook his head lightly before smiling again. "Thanks for helping that idiot out by the way, even if it was unintentional."

I heard Natsu grumbled. He's clearly not pleased over Gray's words.

"Uhm, you're welcome, I guess?" I said coyly while rubbing a hand on my arm. I backed off a little away from him before stealing a glance at Natsu, wondering what he's thinking now.

He was looking at Gray, a scowl present on his face. But that scowl instantly vanished when his eyes met mine. And I can't help but to marvel at the sight when a bright smile slowly lit up his face again.

 _Why does he always smile like that?_

 _I don't like it…_

 _Well…_

 _Honestly…_

 _I like it…_

 _But I don't like what it is doing on my insides. It's like there's a war raging inside my belly._

 _I'm afraid that I might be getting constipated again._

 _But that's just absurd._

 _Maybe it's just the fan girl inside me, partying inside my belly whenever I see that smile of his._

"Natsu." Erza suddenly called out.

Natsu reluctantly peeled his eyes away from me then looked questioningly at Erza.

"I hope you already properly introduced yourself to Lucy." She said while looking at Natsu sternly, stressing the word "properly" at him. But the pink haired guy only rubbed a hand on his neck before looking down at his feet.

"Uhh…" He started as he slightly glanced at me again. "Yeah. I guess."

Erza sighed.

"Alright." She said. "Why don't we all sit down? Lucy? Levy?" She motioned us to follow her over the sofas.

"Uhm, okay." I said as I nervously glance at Levy who was now striding towards me.

She smiled at me broadly, almost like telling me that it's gonna be alright then gently hooked her left arm to my right one in a comforting way and I can't help but to smile at the gesture. She knows I'm still a little bit uneasy.

I looked back towards the sofas and took in the sight of the members of one of my favorite bands making themselves comfortable on their respective seats.

I don't know why but I just stood for a moment there, slowly taking in the sight before me.

I just noticed now that the sofas were mismatched, like they were placed in this room by different persons, and I could just imagine that being the case with these guys. Four different guys, four different personalities, four different sofas.

I giggled.

 _They're a great band and they make great music together but they can't even agree on something as simple as picking a sofa._

 _That's both amazing and ridiculous at the same time._ I thought as I continue to watch them.

I never did expect them to be like this when I first agreed on meeting them. But now that I've met them, I can't help but think that they're so… normal. And I meant that in a really positive way. I mean, they're really grounded, almost like they're not the popular guys of Fairy Tail at all.

 _But Levy and Erza were right about them being a bunch of dorks._ I thought and giggled slightly again.

And for the first time I felt my whole body relax as relief flooded through me. I'm really glad I got to meet these guys, even though it was a little awkward at first. But still, I am thankful.

Honestly, the way we all met really wasn't how I pictured it would be. It was rather an embarrassing one and it wasn't really the ideal way of meeting someone but it was also kinda perfect in its own little way.

I sighed and smiled.

"So this is Fairy Tail…" I whispered affectionately to no one in particular, unintentionally voicing my thoughts out loud.

"What's that Lu?" Levy suddenly asked me.

Turning my head in her direction, I saw my petite friend look at me questioningly.

"Uhm… No… It's nothing." I told her as a blush crept up on my face again.

She just half laughed, half sighed at me before she tugged at my arm, taking us both over where the others are.

* * *

A/N: Yes! I'm back from the dead, guys. I am so sorry for not updating this for a month or two. I really am. I don't have any excuses for not updating but please forgive me. I will really, really try to update soon, but I must say that sadly it won't be weekly anymore. But please bear with me for awhile.

***I still don't own Fairy Tail. It all belongs to the great Hiro Mashima.


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